


X-Men: Resonance

by ResiGamerGirl



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, M/M, Original Character(s), POV Multiple, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-14
Updated: 2015-05-14
Packaged: 2018-03-30 12:02:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 58,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3936070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ResiGamerGirl/pseuds/ResiGamerGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU following First Class film. Features main cast of film and many OCs fitting this AU. WARNINGS for mature themes including: abuse, swearing, death and violence. High T warning basically so be aware. Story: When we cross paths, our souls intertwine. A deep enough connection can resonate throughout our lives, and sometimes, the future may depend on it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Story Notes and Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> AU for the First Class movie's sequel.

These are the list of characters that will be included in my story. This can be used as a reference at any time for recollecting names (especially since many characters have more than one name in this universe!) The original characters have been written as imagined in my mind as being played by the following actors/actresses or people with similar appearance to them!-Some characters are listed with no chosen actors/actresses.

Characters:

Professor X, his students/X-Men:

Charles Xavier_Professor Xavier_Professor X_X (Played by James McAvoy)

Hank McCoy_Beast (Played by Nicholas Hoult)

Alex Summers_Havok (Played by Lucas Till)

Sean Cassidy_Banshee (Played by Caleb Landry Jones)

Sarah Winters_Prophet

Aki_Hikou

Tom Granger_Regen

Magneto, The Brotherhood:

Erik Lehnsherr_Magneto (Played by Michael Fassbender)

Raven Darkholme_Mystique (Played by Jennifer Lawrence)

Janos Quested_Riptide (Played by Alex Gonzalez)

Azazel (Played by Jason Flemyng)

Angel Salvadore (Played by Zoe Kravitz)

Emma Frost (Played by January Jones)

Monica

Damien

*More unnamed/unlisted*

The Future Ones:

Charles Xavier_Professor Xavier (X) (Played by Patrick Stewart)

Erik Lehnsherr_Magneto (Played by Ian McKellan)

James Logan Howlett_Logan_Wolverine (Played by Hugh Jackman)

Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde_Shadowcat (Played by Ellen Page)

Ororo Munroe_Storm (Played by Halle Berry)

Robert "Bobby" Drake_Iceman (Played by Shawn Ashmore)

Brian_Anomaly (Played by Alexander Ludwig)

Bree_Apocalypse (Played by Chloe Grace Moretz)

Marcus, The Reapers:

Marcus Smith_Shield (Played by Tom Hiddleston)

Joseph Novak_Granite (Played by Cam Gigandet)

Melissa_Blink (Played by Emma Stone)

Amy Benson_Truth (Played by Marion Cotillard)

Jeremy Tallick_Nightmare (Played by Ian Somerhalder)

NSA Agents, mutant recruits:

Agent Adam Adams (Played by Titus Welliver)

Agent Jones

Agent Carter

Agent Shepard

Agent Freeley

Anya_Shiva

Ryan_Surge

Zane_Fenrir

Avram

Greta

Connor

Nicholas

Ria

Other mutants:

Klaus Schmidt_Sebastian Shaw (Played by Kevin Bacon)

Moira MacTaggert (Played by Rose Byrne)

Prologue

Barren Plains, Germany, 2023

Two figures stood over the rocky landscape, their shadows falling beyond them, over hard ground. They were alone. In this world, most were alone. It was easier traveling that way, much more safe. The pair, brother and sister, did not fear for themselves though. They were born and bred to be soldiers, warriors. More prominently, however, they were mutants, class five, extremely powerful and so unconcerned with the threat potentially posed towards them at any one time. Sentinels stood no chance against them if they even managed to locate the elusive siblings. Besides, they were on the side of the mutant-hunting robots and the man-made creations knew it.

Blue eyes flashed toward a running form crossing over the ground below them. The girl's eyes caught the movement. She was quick, small, lean, and beautiful. In contrast, her twin brother was tall, broad and muscular, but certainly handsome himself. They had matching blonde hair and blue eyes. Technically they were at the age of 18, but this world they lived in had aged them rapidly from youth. To survive, it had been essential to master their power and be taught the purpose of their family. It was the family legacy that ruled their entire lives, every decision made for the legacy. They were charged with ensuring the future that was, in this year of 2023, remained. Their family faired very well in this admittedly desolate world, because the entirety of their family was human, except for the latest descendants, twin children. When their powers were discovered, it fell to them to be taught to protect the future that was, and they were ready for anything.

"Brian."

"I see. Mutant, class two. Shall I correct him?"

She considered the option briefly before discarding it. There was an object flying through the dark and cloudy sky just behind the male mutant, closing in fast. There was no sense in correcting an anomaly that would cease to exist in seconds.

"Leave him. A sentinel has already locked on. It's done."

Her brother nodded once and said nothing more. This happened often enough. He looked at her then and she smiled softly at him. She was the only one who called him by his birth name, Brian. Everyone else called him by his mutant name, Anomaly. The name directly coincided with his ability to correct anomalies of any kind. These anomalies included mutated genes, sick or dead cells, and so forth. He was also immune to any mutants' ability and could read it and their presence when in close proximity. It was impressive and he knew it. More than once, he'd expressed his pride in himself, but also, he'd shown how proud he was by her abilities.

Bree was called by her name by only Brian as well, everyone else knew her as Apocalypse. Many blamed her for the future that existed. Everyone feared her. As they should. She was a time-traveler, capable of tearing through the seam of space and time in order to go wherever she so chose at any point in the past or future. She cared little for the past or future, however, finding the present to be a much better use of her time and efforts.

She learned fast to survive. kept herself under strict control, ever calm and present in mind. It was necessity, for she'd learned from an extremely young age when her powers first began to emerge, that her emotions affected the very reality around her. If she became upset, the earth itself would begin to crack and break. She was told by her parents once, that she had nearly caused earthquakes and lightning storms so severe, it could have killed everyone had her tantrum over a silly toy gone on for much longer. Thankfully, she'd become extremely adept at keeping her feelings in check and it was hardly an issue now, though her enemies were always loath to learn of this..condition of hers when it came into play if they knocked her off balance enough. She was not to be messed with, ever.

She turned and walked away, the sound of screaming permeating the silence behind her, the smell of heat also rising from the energy beam firing from the sentinel's palm or eyes. The robot could fire from either, depending on the model. It was irrelevant, of no concern of theirs. The mutant would be dead either way.

Her brother followed after her. It was time for them to leave. They had to maintain the timeline as it was meant to happen. There was a potential threat rising in the past, approximately 50 years in the past, and it was left to them to stop the future from being altered. Some course corrections were possibly in order to ensure this. She and her brother would have to go and see for themselves what might need to be done to ensure their present remained as it was now.

It had been Bree, herself, who picked up on a disturbance in the timeline. The family knew of a high probability individual conceivably responsible for the alteration in time. They'd been given the name of a significant man, an infamous mutant, who was at the epicenter of the various futures at play now, and so it was him she would be looking for. She did some time-traveling to various points, investigating the man and his choices, uncovering he was indeed the constant variable at work. They'd learned what was necessary to complete the mission at hand, even going so far as to travel to an alternate future where she recruited a version of the named man whom she'd then delivered to the past she would soon be arriving again in, put into place as their back up plan. He would be their certainty that the mission succeeded. If the timeline couldn't be kept the same with minimal effort, he would step in to ensure the time he came from occurred, because with that timeline, the past also led to the world she was familiar with now, only happening more quickly.

No one was to alter their present. The family legacy was explicit the timeline be maintained and protected. They'd been preparing to use their training their entire life. This world was all they knew and so brother and sister readily accepted the task laid out for them. They had work to do.


	2. Haunted

Chapter One

Haunted

Dystopian Forbidden City, China, 2023

"Recently, upon waking, I got a glimpse from the past. I don't know how or why it happened, but it did. Something from the past led to this present. I can see opportunity. Opportunity to change what is by changing what was."

"What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to do for me, what I once did for you."

Logan focused on the professor, waiting to be told what was to be. As reluctant as he was to admit it, the man was wise and highly intellectual. He always seemed to know what was going on and what should be done when difficulties arose. Wolverine respected Xavier beyond any other. The old man had never done him wrong and spent his life taking in children to help them learn to live in the world. Hard to ever hold anything against a guy like that. Besides, the professor helped him recover some of his past memories when they first met. They'd come a long way since that time and he'd do whatever he could for the man.

"Your mind, we need to send it into your old body, permitting you to travel to the past. 1973 specifically."

He hesitated. "Okay, why that time?"

"A terrible event in that time leads to the present we live in now. If we can change the past, we can prevent this future from ever happening."

Wolverine glanced past the professor in his chair, the man wheeling it a little closer to him as the third person in the room moved forward to stand directly behind Xavier. Magneto looked down at the man in the chair for a long moment, then rested his eyes on Logan.

"We must end this war before it ever begins."

He wasn't in disagreement on that point. It had been a long time since Magneto had been their enemy. There was no room for mutants to disagree with one another or fight when they spent the majority of their time hiding or running from the robots who hunted them day and night. The program that created robots to eliminate mutants had backfired horrifically on the humans who had created them out of fear. Sentinels, as they were called, determined that the most effective manner to defend humanity from mutants would be to rule all of humanity. The decision had evolved into all out war against the sentinels, leaving the world a desolate place, and millions of humans and mutants dead. It was a miserable existence, this world they lived in, and they'd lost many friends and allies over the draining years.

"Find me," the professor continued. "Be patient with me. I was a much different man then. You need to get me to understand, to believe you."

"Never been good with patience."

"You will need me as well." Magneto added, ignoring Logan's words.

Logan glanced from the professor to him. "And where do I find you?"

As Magneto mentioned the darker path he was once on, and the professor went into deeper detail on how exactly Kitty Pryde would use her phasing ability to send his mind into his younger body, he shifted his gaze between the two men now standing side by side. They were a curious pair. For as long as he'd known them, they'd seemed to always be on opposite sides, arguing over the mutant/human issue, both stubborn and certain of their chosen paths. Yet in recent times, the arguing had lessened, the time apart far more uncommon, and Wolverine had observed the close friendship he'd been told about but never witnessed until the more recent years. The two men communicated with their eyes often, sat talking or playing chess for hours during the safe periods whenever they managed to allot them, and seemed content and happy in one another's company. These men were supposed enemies over five decades? Logan was finding the two men to be more and more perplexing the more time he spent with them.

Professor X's head rose, towards the entrance to the room they were occupying.

"Storm is fending off another attack. She will provide the time necessary for Iceman to make it here with our key to sending you to the past."

Wolverine balled his hands into fists, preparing himself for what he knew would be a painful experience in order to send his mind to the past. He had to do this. He was the only one who could survive such a procedure. Logan would need to find a younger Charles Xavier. Find him and convince him into action, with a younger Magneto's help, preventing an event capable of creating the horror of a future they were all living in now. He had important work to do. He was ready.

Westchester County, New York, 1973

"We want the same things."

"Oh, my friend. I'm sorry, we do not."

Pain shot through his back when his friend released him and let him be held instead by Moira. Tears leaked from his eyes, but not from the physical pain. It was the knowledge he'd lost his friend, by choice. Reading Raven's mind as his dear friend and adopted sister approached moments later, he stared helplessly up at her. He'd lost her, too. How had this happened?

"Go with him. It's what you want."

She was smiling fondly down at him. He loved her smile, how it always touched her eyes, brightening everything about her. He didn't want to be without her. He didn't want to be without Erik. Everyone had the right to choose their own path, their own life.

"You promised you would never read my mind."

Raven didn't really seem bothered he'd read her, the smile remained intact, so did the worry for his injured state. It was in his nature to ensure everyone was free to make their own decisions. His heart broke. He had to let her go, too.

"I promised a great many things I'm afraid."

And he had. He'd promised a great many things to many people when he was young, cocky, foolish. He had no illusions about himself any longer. He couldn't help anyone anymore. How could he when he couldn't even help himself? Ten years later and he was pathetic, a shadow of himself trapped in the prison of his own body with his useless lower half. He was so alone.

"You are alone."

What was that? After the voice broke off, memories of that day on the beach faded, replaced by darkness. It was pitch black now. He couldn't see a thing.

"You don't believe in your cause, because it is meaningless."

The voice had returned. He looked about himself but it was simply blackness. Tracing the source of the voice proved impossible.

"You don't believe in the world, because it wronged you."

"Who's there?" he demanded.

"You no longer believe in yourself, because you have failed anyone who ever trusted you, depended on you, believed in you."

"Who is speaking? Show yourself!"

Cold laughter was the reply that came.

"Forget them. Forget the ones you once called friends. Forget the ones who left you. They don't need you. No one needs you. It's time to find a better purpose. You're better off alone."

He couldn't argue there. He'd kept himself primarily isolated for years. Life in a wheelchair had dampened his spirit, losing Erik and Raven had shaken him to the core.

"Forget them!" the voice came again, demanding to be heard. "You have yourself and you are all you will ever need."

That would be so nice. If only it were true... His mind trailed back to the day on the beach, the offer his good friend had made to him.

"I want you by my side."

He'd wanted nothing more than to be at Erik's side, too. But not like that. Not when it would mean humans dying senselessly. Not when it meant his friend would do bad things in order to see his work come to fruition.

"We fight for the same thing."

That had made him laugh sadly in his friend's face. The same thing? They had the same basic goal, to see mutants living freely and without fear or persecution. But Erik would do terrible things to see it happen and he would in turn, persecute humans as he saw fit. It was wrong. Charles could never abide by it. He was a part of this world. He could never do it intentional harm.

"You see? He stands against you. He thinks you are like him. You are not. You are better, stronger, dangerous."

Charles whirled about, searching for the voice, twisting around in that forsaken chair of his. "Show yourself! Who are you? What do you want?"

"To help. To show you how much better you can become if you just allow your mind to be free of the burdens you weigh yourself down with."

"Is this a dream? Or are you actually in my head? Are you a telepath, too?"

The horrible memory of being flooded with agonizing pain to his skull when he'd been holding Sebastian Shaw in place and Erik had killed him, utterly consumed him then. Charles had pleaded with his friend, begged him not to kill Shaw, not to cross that line, not to harm him in the process since he was inside the awful man's mind at the time. God, there was so much pain! He started screaming, clawing at the sides of his head to try to make it stop.

As quickly as it came, the pain dissipated, just like the hope he'd once felt, before a fissure was created between him and Erik. His idealism, compassion, goodness...that all just felt so pointless now. Serene and innocent? A thing of the past most likely.

"Yes. Forget who you were. Embrace who you can become."

For the first time, he really listened to the man speaking to him, acknowledging what was being said to him.

"Yes. It's time for a new chapter to begin. I need to stop wallowing in self-pity and grief at what is already lost. I need to be someone. I'm meant to do something with my life because I have the capacity to."

"You will accomplish great things. Forget those you once spent your days with. You need no one else. You are power, X."

"X?" Charles questioned.

"You are power."

His eyes opened and he found himself lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling above him. Morning light streamed in through the window at his left, cascading over the blanket resting over him. Vaguely he thought over various images and phrases in his mind, trying to formulate what had been going on in his mind during that very strange dream. He felt like he'd had a similar dream to it before. More than once maybe even. His brain felt confused, memories foggy, and he wasn't sure of anything. Must have been because his brain was still sleepy, unclear. He pushed those thoughts away and sat up, grabbing his legs and maneuvering them over the side of the bed after throwing the blanket off.

He ran a hand through long hair and roughly dragged a hand down the front of his face, feeling the grown beard there. Tired, he was so tired. A glance toward the bedside clock informed him he'd slept for over twelve hours. That was impossible. He felt like he had barely slept even an hour. Sighing, he shifted his gaze over to the wheelchair waiting beside the bed. Another day in his prison.

His mind began to pick up on other thoughts. Alex Summers and Sean Cassidy, AKA Havok and Banshee, were heading down the main staircase. All three young men who'd chosen his side on the beach in Cuba had stayed with him to help him create his school for mutants. Extending his reach outward, he felt Hank McCoy's presence in the lab as usual. Though as one of his "X" men he was known as Beast, the genius and scientist in him won out more often than not. To all three men, the mansion had become their home since the day Charles found each of them and brought them there to embrace their mutant powers.

More minds entered his own. He recognized two more souls just outside the mansion. The first was Sarah Winters or Prophet. She was a young college student barely in her 20's. Brown hair, brown eyes, a class three mutant who experienced premonitions, she was a smart girl. What she was still doing here, he didn't know. As the years continued on, Charles had begun to retreat from the world, and his school fell into disarray.

Hoisting himself into his chair, he sought out the other presence with her, already knowing who it was without seeing with his mind. Aki was a teenage boy who rarely left Sarah's side. He was born and raised in Japan, not speaking much English, and rather shy. Aki was a man with talent though. Despite his youthful appearance and spiky hairstyle, he could influence gravity as he chose. The ability allowed him flight and levitation. It was why he'd been nicknamed Hikou, the Japanese word for flight.

The pair of them were both level three mutants. They were students and X-men of his. At least, they had been. Most of his students had been forced to go back to their old lives when Charles stopped showing up for lessons, stopped planning how to improve their education and training. Over the last five years, he'd lost over thirty students, and only three of his originals remained, along with three who he found a few years later. Those who remained living and struggling to learn mostly on their own now, was Hank, Alex, and Sean, and then Sarah, Hikou, and finally, Tom Granger.

Tom Granger or Regen, was one of his great success stories as Alex liked to call it. He didn't know why the man felt such respect and admiration toward him for taking them in and teaching them how to control their powers. He didn't get why any of them did. It had only been right to help those he saw in need of his help.

Now Tom was called Regen because of his uncanny ability to revitalize and regenerate dead things. In his mid-20's, with sandy hair, green eyes, and a well-built form, the man spent his days enjoying the nature he loved so much. Charles knew he often used the pool outside the mansion to swim. He tanned pretty regularly, a stark contrast to the pale hue Charles had let his own skin become, and he absolutely dedicated much of his time trying to get him to be a professor again, teaching him something new, whatever that might be. It was him who'd shown Regen he could not only revive dying plants, but also he was capable of healing people. He'd only been able to heal fresh cuts or wounds so far, but he was improving steadily. His ability was stronger than he'd known, and he was classified as a class four. Tom was a good man with a not entirely understanding family of his ability. Charles knew how that went all too well and so perhaps it was why Tom did hold a special place in his heart. Then again, each and every one of his students did.

But he wished they'd stop lingering about in his old family home turned school turned to nothing. He had nothing left to offer them. He was a miserable excuse for a professor and he didn't even know what he was doing anymore. He'd given up, they knew it, so why couldn't they let him be and accept it? They were strong and independent, he'd made sure of that before he'd ever lost the ability to keep himself caring and spending time outside of his bedroom.

Charles wheeled himself over to the bathroom and disappeared inside to prepare for the day. Exiting the bathroom, he moved over to the window, all the while keeping outside voices out of his own head. It came mostly natural to him to keep others' thoughts out of his mind, only reading people's thoughts and feelings when he felt he needed to. Lately though, he'd just been so tired and sometimes even managed to forget to put the blockade up in his mind immediately upon waking. Life had not dealt him a fair hand and it drove him to the brink trying to move past the debilitating injury that forever changed him.

Anger surged through him. It had been doing that more and more. He gripped the armrests of his chair tightly, staring out at the sunshine of the outside world he'd come to avoid as often as he could.

"They'll turn on you."

He jerked upright in his seat, glancing around before realizing he'd heard the voice in his head.

"Your own sister abandoned you. The sole person in this world who you made a connection with and cared for deeply, chose his own mission and rage over staying with you. He made you a cripple."

"That wasn't his fault!" Charles snapped, quickly becoming aware he was talking to himself.

He had to be. He was alone and the voice in his head was his own voice. Come to think of it, the voice he was hearing now sounded a lot like the voice from his dreams of late. He rubbed his temples, two fingers on each side. Maybe it was his telepathy messing with his head, confusing him into thinking someone was talking to him when really, they were only his thoughts.

"They'll turn on you like he did. They'll leave you, too. You should leave before they can leave you. Make the first move, towards who you are meant to be."

Charles thought to himself in his head this time, no matter how crazy that sounded. Ten years gone by without making much of himself. Maybe he was going insane.

"And who am I meant to be?"

"Stronger than anyone else. Better as a solitary man. They don't care for you. Forget about them."

He frowned, the headache worsening. Forget about who? Who was he forgetting about again? His brain felt like dozens of needles were poking into various points of it and coherent thoughts simply weren't formulating for him.

His eyes slammed shut and he willed any and all thoughts in his head to go away. He hunched forward in his chair, fiddling with the dark blue dress shirt and tan pants he wore. He kept his hands occupied clenching at the cloth he couldn't feel against his limp legs, trying to focus on anything but the pounding in his head.

"Just go away. Go away."

The voice in his head did go away, but another filled the void, this one coming from outside him.

"You knew I was coming? Impressive."

Shock would be putting the expression on his face, lightly. He took a moment to turn and see the face staring down at him, partially obscured by the ugly helmet atop his head. For half a decade he'd kept track of the Brotherhood's movements, but he had no contact with his former friends. He hadn't wanted to because it would only make the separation all the more real. In recent times, he paid no attention to many world affairs, preferring to retreat inside his own company instead of anywhere else.

The struggles the world faced in the last ten years had drained him too much for his liking, so he'd kept out of it. Dealing with the losses he personally endured had been enough as is. Erik had been lost to him, giving in to his darker instincts. He hadn't the slightest idea why his old friend had come. What did he want of him? He wasn't welcome here. This opened wounds he was trying to put far behind him.

Erik read the pure shock off of him easily. "Oh, so you didn't know."

A frown creased his forehead. Charles turned away from the scrutinizing gaze now attempting to bore into him. If he didn't know any better, he'd think Erik was trying to read his mind.

"How are you, Charles?"

A humorless chuckle escaped him. "Like you care. You're not welcome here. Come to the point or get out. I don't want visitors today."

"The way I hear it, you don't much like visitors of any kind these days."

He was not in the mood for banter or conversation of any sort. His head hurt. He knew his old friend didn't care about him. Why would he come? He must want something. Didn't the other man see he didn't want to be near him? It hurt to be near him.

"Go away."

"Come. Let's play a game of chess."

It wasn't a question. Despite his protests to the contrary, he found himself being wheeled away from the window and over to the sitting area in his room. As soon as the chair came to a stop on one side of the small table there, he shoved Erik's hand off the handlebar and fixed a glare upon him.

"I don't want to play. Tell me why you're here and what you want and we can both move on with our lives."

"You call this living?"

Charles glowered across the table as his former friend took a seat opposite him.

"It's been ten years. If you cared anything for me you would have come to see me after you learned I was paralyzed from the waist down for life."

"I would have, had you wanted to see me."

Those were confident words spoken but he saw the guilt flash across his face, the tightening of his jaw and slight frown coming over him. Apparently his volatile friend did have a soul yet.

Erik gestured for him to make the first move but he did nothing to reach toward the game before him. His eyes stayed on the man hiding from him with that damn helmet on. The helmet meant a lot. It meant he didn't trust Charles not to read his thoughts without permission. There was a tension between them, palpable and uncomfortable. Then the other said something that made his appearance make perfect sense.

"Your students worry for you. They came to see Mystique, concerned for your well-being, for your refusal to cease the rut of nothingness that has become what you call living. When I heard what you've been doing, or rather, what has become of your dream to build a school meant for helping mutants, I came. I know how much you wanted that school. You still do. I know you."

He didn't really hear Erik's words, focusing on the mention of Mystique. He allowed himself this one question. One he'd wanted an answer to for a long time.

"How is she?"

"She's well. Azazel has trained her to defend herself and use stealth tactics. They've warmed to one another very much over the years."

Charles stared down at his hands resting in the lap he couldn't even truly feel. "I'm glad she's happy."

"I didn't say that exactly."

That got his attention. He raised his head up to meet Erik's eyes, waiting for the forthcoming explanation to such a statement.

"She misses you terribly."

"Why didn't she come to see me?"

Erik shifted a little in his seat. He wondered if the man was irked by the fact that he was not welcome in Charles' home, but Raven still was. There were many things he wondered about his past friend.

"She didn't think you'd want to see her. She feels guilty for leaving you bleeding on that beach. She can't be happy, not without her brother."

He shook his head slightly in disagreement. "Raven's a strong person. You'll keep her safe."

Charles leaned forward and moved the first of his pieces forward. He held back the smirk threatening to show on his face when his old friend didn't even bother to hide how pleased he was that the game was now in play.

"You disapprove of my methods." Erik said, moving a piece and then awaiting his next turn.

A pointless comment. He restrained from rolling his eyes, running a hand through the scruff of his face before resting the limb back down to his lap after moving a pawn.

"Of course. Especially when your motto remains the same. Us against them. Really, Erik, you can do better than that."

His opponent shoved one of his own pawn's forward and leaned on his hands.

"The humans never learn. They often solve their own problems with violence. Why shouldn't I do the same in order to put myself in the position to make real advances for mutants everywhere? Us against them is just the reality of things."

"That's just it, Erik. You want to fight against the world. I want to live in it."

Erik grew very serious. Ignoring the game for the moment in order to regard him more closely. "Why don't you live in it anymore?"

He did the exact opposite of putting the game aside. Hunching over in his chair, he stared hard at the board like it required all of his concentration. Charles wasn't interested in being interrogated by a man who never bothered to visit him even once in a decade. Had he been a fool to ever believe Erik could be a better man? He didn't want to think that.

The game went on, continuing in silence. Neither one had improved in skill over the years. Charles suspected the game had not been played by Erik, as it had not been played by himself, all these years. It wasn't until they were nearing the end of the game that the familiarity of it drove him to say what he knew he felt and needed to get out. He didn't know if he'd ever see Erik again after all.

"I forgive you."

Erik continued studying the board, indecisive over his next move, both on and off it. So Charles filled the quiet himself once more.

"I forgive you for killing Shaw, with me still inside his mind. I know the lovely Miss Frost must have told you by now, how that felt for me."

The man across from him stiffened. He moved one of his pieces and Charles could see it took physical effort to meet his gaze this time.

"I am sorry for that. I didn't know. I...I had to kill him. After what he did to me, my mother, Darwin... He was far too dangerous to keep alive." There was hesitation, brief, before he was continuing on. "I'm sorry for what my choices on the beach that day did to you as well. If I'd kept my anger in check like you always told me, you wouldn't be in that chair."

He smiled very slightly at him. "I don't blame you for this chair. I put myself in it. I made choices, too. We all make choices that we have to live with."

"Don't do that."

Charles sighed. "What am I doing that you abhor now?"

Erik ignored the choice in wording in favor of speaking his mind. "You and your forgiving. You forgive far too easily."

"And you don't forgive nearly enough. You should take a lesson from me. Old hatred and fear and pain make you judge the human race far too severely." Narrowed eyes prompted him to add a bit more, to make himself absolutely clear. "Humans suffer, too."

"I know suffering."

The words were said to inform him as if he were speaking to a child. It didn't faze him. It merely meant if he was shortening the man's responses, he was getting to him.

"As do I."

Erik opened his mouth but clamped it shut again when a crack sounded, the smell of sulfur filtering through the air. For not desiring any visitors whatsoever, there sure seemed to be a fair number of them in his bedroom this day. As one, the pair of them looked up from their game to see who'd arrived.

When he first saw the red-skinned man in a slick black suit standing beside the wind-maker known as Riptide, he clenched his fists, uncertain if a threat was being posed towards him. Rapidly he worked his own mind into theirs and found caution, but no thoughts of doing him harm of any kind. He read there was a bit of confusion as to why they were even there as well. Then he felt the presence of a third mind and as the teleporter stepped aside, he saw the gorgeous woman, skin a deep shade of blue, who stood just behind the men.

"Raven," he breathed out softly.

She'd grown since he'd last seen her. Instinctively, he averted his gaze a bit at the sight of her naked form. It was unnerving to see his sister so exposed.

As soon as she set her eyes on him, she was running. He startled as she threw herself into his lap and hugged him fiercely. Then, as though coming back to herself, she leapt off him and glanced down at his lap.

"I'm sorry! Can I do that? Does it hurt if I do that?"

He managed a weak smile through his teeth at her. "Nope. I feel nothing at all below the waist."

Her face fell, guilt, sadness, and concern filtered visibly across every fiber of her naked form. He focused on her face and knew he was the one with the power to make her feel better.

"I still feel here though," he told her, placing his palm over his heart.

Immediately she glowed with renewed happiness. Happiness dampened by Erik's decision to continue their conversation despite some of his people's unexpected arrival.

"This is what I'm getting at. You always believe everyone has some good in them. You believe simply by having good intentions, your actions are right, and good will be a result. Some of the worst things in history occurred with the best intentions in mind. I would know."

Charles forced himself to tear his eyes from the beautiful woman in order to glance at the board for his next turn, then waited and looked up at his opponent.

"You are to be the one to lecture me on good intentions?"

"You are naive!"

Raven was looking between them as they had their little debate, puzzled and uncertain of what she'd walked in on. Perhaps she thought like him, remembering vaguely of a time when they'd all been together and happy. That was a long time ago.

"Those best intentions of mine saved your life!" Charles reminded, annoyed he even had to do so. "You would be dead now had I not pulled you from the water the night we met."

Erik fell silent for a moment, then responded after sighing in exasperation. "And I haven't forgotten that. How could I?"

He looked over the man's face. His old friend looked tired himself. His team of mutants not producing the results he was hoping for? Charles knew then, that the other man had come with a reason. He glanced in the direction of the silently waiting trio of Erik's, no, Magneto's Brotherhood, Raven standing in the space between the two sets of men uncertainly, waiting to see what there was to see.

"What would you have me do?" Charles finally asked.

"You brought it up yourself so we'll go from there. The night you pulled me from the water, we were meant to find each other, Charles. I've never stopped believing that and I would still have you by my side."

"Your mission is misguided. You think us better than humans."

"We are better."

"What makes us better? We can be hurt or killed, we cry and love, experience loss, pain, joy... We are both. We are human and mutant. We are the same."

He sensed before he saw Raven's smile. "You always did manage to be profound, Charles."

Erik did not seem to agree. He glanced at the board, saw Charles had yet to take his turn, then returned his attention to him.

"You idealize the world to one day be better, mutants and humans living in harmony, neither living in fear. They are a fool's dreams. No matter how beautiful they are."

So Erik liked the ideas of a world where coexistence was possible. Interesting. Still, the visit felt odd. His friend appeared possibly desperate here. Why? Surely he knew Charles would never agree with him on his beliefs, no matter how low a point in his life he was at. He needed to quash any hope that he would ever join a rebellion force such as Magneto's current one.

"You think you have the world all figured out. You know nothing."

The words were spoken with a layer of ice coating them, distancing himself from someone he'd once felt so close to. Erik definitely noticed the wall being raised up between them, and Charles had to admit, he was surprised when Erik tried to break through to reach him.

"We're meant to be together, Charles. Please, see reason."

He was pragmatic in his answer, not at all doubting himself. "I do see reason and the truth. You see the reason that best supports your self-proclaimed cause."

Erik shook his head quick. "You and I-"

He raised up a hand. "In another life, Erik. In this one, I cannot lay down my beliefs so that you can seek revenge against an imagined slight."

Whoops. That had hit his old friend someplace where the rage was kept. "Imagined?!"

Charles felt like a broken record. "Humans are not the enemy. There are enemies out there, mutants and humans alike, and while you plot against those who would mean you no intentional harm, there are some who would do harm, and intend it."

"Charles..."

"That is how the world works."

"Charles?"

This time it was Raven reaching out to him, her own desperation and sadness mixing into the name spoken. It made him decide to be honest, completely.

"I wish I could stand at your side. At least," he glanced bitterly down at the chair that was his trap before he continued. "Sit at your side, anyway... But as you are now, rage rules your logic. I cannot abide it."

"You think I came here for your blessing?"

There was almost what sounded like disgust in his voice but he saw right through it. There always had been a connection between them, even without the use of his telepathy.

"I know it. I know you, even after all this time apart. You came here for absolution."

Erik stared down at the board. "Your turn?"

He released a quiet sigh. Charles moved his queen diagonally and leaned back in his chair. "Checkmate."

His old friend fiercely studied the board in front of him until he confirmed that the game had indeed been lost on his end. It wasn't the only thing lost to him today. He stood from his seat and came around to Charles's side, placing a hand on his shoulder. It was a comforting gesture but he couldn't help but feel it would only make their departure more difficult. It was unlikely he would see Erik again after turning him down a second time. He might not see Raven again either, and that hurt quite a lot to consider.

Walking over to stand with the members of his brotherhood, he held out his hand for Mystique to take. She turned back towards Charles, and he could see the raw pain he was causing her. He was sorry this was hurting her, but it was a mutual pain, not that that would ever make it hurt any less for either one of them.

"Please, be careful." Charles said, meaning it for all of them.

His hands resting in his lap, he stared unseeing at the chess board. He did not look up even after the noise of the teleportation reached his ears, complete silence descended over the room, and he was alone once more. He was alone. He thought he would cry. Instead, he felt numb.


	3. Changes

Chapter Two

Changes

Westchester County, New York, 1973

"Weak... You must prove your strength."

Charles shook his head from side to side, palm pressed to the side of his pounding head. The migraine had worsened in record time. A week since Erik's visit, since he'd seen Raven again. The visit made things worse. It made him realize even more how much things had gone wrong since the event that had become known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Nothing felt right anymore and he was tired of putting on a mask for his six remaining students. If they could even be called students. He certainly didn't bother holding classes any longer and the occupants of his estate spent their days continuing their training together, in his absence.

"Know your true self. Forget them. Kill them or find others to kill. Others like you are a threat to you. The threat must be eliminated. Then X shall rise."

His fist flew into the bathroom mirror before he even realized he was doing it. Blinking slowly, he stared blankly at his bloodied knuckles. It took him a long moment of watching the blood trail down pale skin, dripping onto the floor, feeling as if time itself had slowed, before he actually reacted. He grabbed a towel from beside the sink and placed it against the bleeding hand. The flow was slowing already, soon ceasing entirely. A few minutes later and there were no traces of blood, hand wrapped in clean white bandages around the knuckle area.

"Professor Xavier?"

He lifted his gaze upward, staring into the now partially broken mirror in front of him. There were dark shadows under his eyes, shoulder-length hair shaggy and unwashed. The exhaustion was evident. It would be difficult to excuse his appearance away. His students, they were endlessly hounding him about his turn into a hermit over the last few years. They wanted him to be the mentor and friend who'd found them out in the world and given them a home. That was ten years ago. He couldn't help them anymore. When would they move on and leave him to himself? He was so tired.

"Professor X?"

"X, Charles. It's your future. Leave the professor behind. Eliminate the threats."

"Be quiet!" he hissed at the unrelenting whisper in his head.

He was at the end of his rope, at the precipice of a cliff that he couldn't step back from. His head felt like it was going to explode. Erik wanted nothing to do with him. His own sister wanted nothing to do with him. His students were better off elsewhere. Why couldn't they get it? Why couldn't they leave him alone?

"Er..did you say something? Professor?"

A knock came at the door to his room. Giving in, he exited his bathroom and wheeled himself over to the table where the chess set still sat. The pieces were left where they'd been when Erik and the others came and went one week ago. The game portrayed his own checkmate over his old friend's black pieces, yet he felt it was himself who'd been beaten that day. It was the defining moment that told Charles there was little point in his caring. Everyone just cared about what he could do for them. Even Erik and Raven only wanted him around them if he was going to agree with their rash tactics and growing animosity towards the human race. Loneliness consumed him and it did nothing for him. Perhaps it was right to allow fury to take him over. He had nothing else left.

"Yessss."

Charles winced at the hiss in his head. Either his stress of late was making his telepathy act up, churning about the thoughts in his mind, or he was losing it. There was a definite lack of control and he'd always prided himself on his ability to remain calm and steady, no matter the adversity. This was so unlike him.

"Come in then!" he finally called out to the door.

Immediately the door pushed inward and a face poked through. Alex peeked his head through the doorway, timidness apparent on his normally confident exterior.

"Hey, professor, uhh..."

"Out with it, Alex. What troubles you?"

Then his mind felt a new presence in the house. "We have a visitor."

"Uh, yeah. He, what he's saying... It's unbelievable. Crazy really. I think you should come see him. You're the only one who's going to be able to tell if he's lying."

"What makes you think he lies?"

"Well, he claims to be from the future. Says you, from the future, sent him."

He stared at Alex, even as he closed his mind to the minds around him. His half dozen students were all here, a captive audience for their new visitor. This man certainly sounded insane but he would hear what he had to say.

Together they descended to the first floor via elevator. When they made their entrance into the sitting area, each of his students briefly approached to greet him and give a smile. The old Charles would have been warmed by this display of affection. Now, he couldn't bring himself to feel anything. Once they moved away to sit or stand at different spots in the room, Tom and Hank remaining at either side of his chair, he allowed his gaze to focus on the one unfamiliar face in the room.

The man looked to be about 30, dark hair on his head and face. A leather jacket, plaid shirt, and jeans described his attire. His brown eyes met Charles's gaze with obvious interest.

"Hey there, professor."

He couldn't help the arch of one of his eyebrows. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of being acquainted."

The other chortled a bit at that, apparently finding amusement in what he'd said. "No, not yet. You could just read my mind. I'm sure you think I'm some loon, come to swindle you out of your inheritance or something of the sort."

Charles didn't crack a smile, but he was tempted to. There was something about this man that he liked. It wasn't so far-fetched to believe he might know this man. He did in the future it seemed.

"I don't simply go diving into people's minds without their permission. So I've been told you come from the future. Could it be you have a mutation that allows you travel through time?"

"Nope. Sorry to disappoint. Technically this body is mine from this time period. My mind is another story."

"From the future." Charles filled in.

"Yeah. Another mutant used her ability to send my future mind into my body in this year. She did it because you asked her to. It's why I'm here, too."

He followed. "Myself did, in the future."

The man nodded and glanced at the others in the room briefly before returning his attention to Charles. "I'm from 2023 and one of your X-Men. Name's Lo-Wolverine. Looks like these are the beginnings of your school?"

Charles frowned at that. "Well, not quite. There were more..." He sighed, deciding he didn't want to finish what he'd been saying. "It's not important. I must ask, what brings you all the way from the future to see me?"

"A divide grew between you and Magneto when you were both young, and as a result, some bad shit went down. I'm here to get you to wake up and get out there to stop it."

"Oh?"

"Yes. The future you, told me you made a mistake. You turned away from the world and so missed what was happening. You allowed Magneto and his Brotherhood's actions to go unchecked. Their violence forced the government's hand and they began work on a project in secret. A project no one knew even existed until it was too late. The war that resulted, it has to be prevented."

"A war? What are you talking about?"

"A war that results in mutants and humans alike being virtually wiped out. The future I come from is a wasteland. Mutants are hunted by programmed robots designed to kill them. You have to stop it from ever happening by changing things now. You and Magneto can change the future if-"

Charles laughed, bitterly, humorlessly. "I can change nothing. I dreamed I could, once, but that's died now."

"Xavier-"

"Professor!" several of his students tried to protest.

"No."

He said no to it all. Wolverine cut himself off, waiting for what Charles had to say. His students held their tongues though he didn't have to be telepathic to know they were itching to argue, to speak their minds against what he'd decided.

"Erik chose his path. I've chosen mine. There is nothing left to discuss."

"But the future-"

"Is abysmal? The present I live in currently is rather dismal itself I'm afraid."

Wolverine narrowed his eyes at him. "You, the you from the future I mean, said he was a different man in 1973. I didn't expect him-you-to be this different though."

"Sorry to disappoint. I seem to be doing a lot of that these days."

His students started up with the disagreeing and protests but he silenced it all with a single raise of his hand, the non-bandaged one. He didn't need them focusing on that any either. A sharp pain coursed through his head. He winced and lowered his gaze to the carpet before forcing his eyes up to meet Wolverine's once more.

"Perhaps Erik can help you, though I imagine there is no reason he will find to help you either. I will make myself clear. There will be no help found here."

"Professor," Tom tried, coming to bend partially down to look at him. "If the world could really be in trouble, shouldn't we do something?"

"And what could we do? This man doesn't even have a plan. He doesn't even know what precisely goes wrong that leads to a future war."

"Magneto's anger towards the human race causes them to rise up and develop a plan against all mutants. The war kills millions!" Wolverine divulged, sounding particularly annoyed he was not being heard. "You are the one to do something about it."

"I disagree. I am not the one to help. Well, perhaps I could do one thing for you."

Wolverine waited, listening cautiously to where this was headed.

"I will use Cerebro and locate Erik or at least one of his associates, should he be wearing that helmet."

He felt Hank's eyes coming to rest on the back of his head. "Are you certain you can handle Cerebro? It's been..a long time since you used it last."

"It'll be fine. You can even accompany Wolverine and myself to ensure I don't collapse as you think I might."

"I don't-"

He began to wheel himself to the doorway, glancing back at the uncertain and nervous looking scientist. An odd sight when the man was blue and furry.

"Coming?"

Hank sighed and followed, Wolverine trailing behind them. The remainder of his students were left behind to whisper and wonder. It didn't matter. None of it did.

"When we get below, I shall read your mind to see what you obviously need me to see. I assure you, it will change nothing on my part. Is this acceptable?"

It was. It was strange how many were so willing to trust him into their very personal minds.

Entering Cerebro's circular chamber, the second version of this machine he'd used, he wheeled himself forward, Hank and Wolverine flanking him on either side. It had been years since he'd entered this room. Examining the machine's components and the sitting helmet, he saw a rather thick layer of dust coating everything. While Hank went over to fiddle with the controls, Charles picked up the helmet, blowing dust off of it.

The memory of the first time he'd ever used a machine like this flashed through his mind. Erik had been there, watching with obvious fascination as Charles experienced the rush of power and reach the machine allowed his mind. A life like that could have meant many more moments, him and Erik, working together to find and help mutants. A sharp pain came and went through his head. He winced. Ouch. That had been happening more and more.

He set the helmet back down and turned around to face his supposed visitor from the future. He had given his word to do one other thing for this man. Briefly he beckoned the man to come closer.

"With your permission, I will read your mind now."

Again, so willing to allow him access. Why was that? He was nothing special. He was a mess. A pathetic excuse for a breathing body unless he did something about it.

When he was finished, he removed his hands from the sides of Wolverine's head, aforementioned man straightening himself up and waiting. Charles mulled over the images he'd seen. The world was much abused in the future, that was certain. If that was the future where he stayed on his path to help mutants and run his school, why do it? His thoughts of leaving the manor and finding a new path in life seemed far more viable now. He knew this was not what the future man had intended when he transferred not only his memories, but his struggles and pains to survive and protect. It was good then, that he did not care if the other got what he thought he needed.

Charles fixed tired eyes on Wolverine. His anger level was rising at an unhealthy rate.

"I don't want your suffering!" he spat at the other man, volume of his voice rising along with the rage. "I don't want your future!"

It upset him that this man would find him and feed him all of his pain, anger, and sorrow. He had enough of that bottled up inside of himself. He didn't want to be near this man any longer. He didn't want to be by any of them anymore.

Forcing himself to calm, he twirled himself around in his chair and wheeled closer to the helmet. Lifting it in his hands, he glanced toward Hank, who stood by nervously.

"Are you ready? I will find Erik or his people, and then our visitor will be on his way."

He took a moment to look back at Wolverine, or Logan as he'd seen when in the other man's mind.

"And he shall not return here again."

Without waiting for a response, he turned to the machine and head-piece, concentrating solely on the task at hand. It was something he'd rather not do. If it would send the unwelcome visitor and his suffering on his way, it would be done. Cerebro hummed to life.

London, England, 1973

Anomaly moved to sit against the wall beside his partner and sister. She sipped her hot chocolate quietly but with much enjoyment. Even as immersed as she seemed to be in her steaming beverage, when their target walked by on the other side of the street, both of their eyes followed after him.

Marcus Smith, also known as Shield. A class three mutant in his late 30's, born in Westminster, raised in London, with the talent of immunity to just about anything as well as having the capability to mute or stunt another mutant's ability. His powers developed when he was twelve, but he didn't become anyone of interest until he was twenty-two. It was when he killed his first human. Somehow the court ruled it to be self-defense. It had been anything but. Marcus Smith was a well off and likable businessman, while Shield was dangerous, prone to violence. He'd grown a superiority complex once his mutation fully manifested and he discovered no other powers could hurt him, bullets and knives bounced off his skin, and he was essentially untouchable.

Shown a little appeal to be a leader of others with mutations, a result of Apocalypse's direct intervention, they'd been helping him recruit others to his cause ever since. They sought out a future without humankind. The plan was to destroy the old world and reform the planet, with mutants in power. He was well on his way to becoming the next Sebastian Shaw. Whether or not he would succeed at this point was unknown. Bree bet he wouldn't. He was merely a means to an end so his failure would mean little.

Brian and Bree watched as one by one, the selected mutants they found for Marcus, passed through the crowded London street. There was the young woman with green eyes who could become invisible. She was haughty and confident and perfectly assertive for their makeshift rebellion.

This was their secondary plan for the future. In the past, it was Magneto's Brotherhood that resulted in a project being pioneered by the government to wipe out all mutants. By creating another group of mutants with a desire to rule or kill humans, it would make that project all the more likely to occur. Apocalypse and Anomaly were extremely effective at what they did, however, and so they'd brought someone from an alternate version of the future to this time in the past as well. He was already at work, breaking Charles Xavier down into nothing of what he once was.

He and his sibling took the threat of this infamous man very seriously. In every future they'd visited, he'd always been well known, a formidable force who did so much for mutants and humans alike. Except for one future, where he'd been nothing like all the other futures. From that alternate future, Apocalypse had requested him to leave that future and come to the past. When told it would be to encourage his past self to become him, he'd been rather interested in helping them out. This was the primary plan. Change Charles Xavier into an entirely different being.

They also recognized that since nearly every future kept a pure-hearted version of this man, it might be a long shot. Hence, the secondary plan already in effect and being monitored to ensure it progressed to their satisfaction. They couldn't take any chances. They had to ensure certain attacks and assassinations of key political figures took place, so that the government felt necessity to act against mutants. Then the future they hailed from would be fully secure.

While watching two more members of Marcus Smith's team pass by, a man and woman, both class two mutants, a few of the ordinary citizens of the city turned their way, staring. Mumbled whispers and then they were moving on in a hurry, but he couldn't blame them for the attention. He and his sister continued to dress in their future clothing, that of warriors. Light weight armor adorned their bodies, black in color and form fitting, allowing them ease of movement, speed, and the ability to move silently where needed. It was not the attire of the 1970s to be sure.

"If he fails to provide the results we want?" he questioned Bree.

She was the one who could time-travel and so she made most of the decisions for them. She knew the most about all the different versions of time that could conceivably result and recognized certain significant points in location and time. He was reliant upon her to make the best choices to preserve the future they came from and would follow her anywhere, regardless. Apocalypse was very good at what she did. So was he.

"Then we won't settle for second best." she answered him, not bothering to look up from the hot beverage she'd returned her attentions to. "We'll bring Shaw to this time ourselves to get the job done."

"If you deem it necessary, all right." Hesitation, then he trailed the final man in Smith's group as he moved along through the crowd, before settling his gaze to his partner at his side. "I dislike relying on others so much."

"They are the players, we are the designers. It is always in our grasp, our control. Do not worry so much, brother. Our future will be maintained, success is at hand."

He took the now empty cup from her hand, tossing it into the trash bin near where they sat. Pulling her close, she laid her head on his shoulder and they continued to watch the stifling masses of people crowding about them on the street.

"Turning Charles Xavier is plan A, should the Brotherhood fail to do what they did to create our future decades later." Anomaly reiterated. "Plan B lies with Marcus and his gathering opposition to humanity. So, what do we do now?"

"Sit back, watch the present play out."

Anomaly smiled. "And if it doesn't go accordingly?"

She returned his smile with one of her own. "Then, we do something."


	4. Doubts and Fears

Chapter Three

Doubts and Fears

Alexandria, Virginia

The ceiling was high, with a spectacular array of stained glass windows. She often spent her mornings watching the sunlight filter through. Beautiful and unique things could always captivate her. Every single window was different than the last. She loved this place, a recently closed down church. It was why they'd made it their latest headquarters, with thanks to Magneto's say so as well of course.

Today was like any other day, except it was a bit uglier than that. She was preparing for another mission. This was going to be a very different mission than the others that had come before. For one, this was her first solo mission. Secondly, it was going to be her first kill.

A big day, a lot of pressure. She couldn't take her mind off the plan running repeatedly through her head. Everything had to go perfectly. The mission had to be a success because Magneto didn't know about it. She'd planned this one on her own, only Azazel providing aid on some of the finer details, such as the layout of the Washington D.C. area where her target would be.

The target was a vocal politician with strong views against those with mutations. Though mutants were still largely believed to be mythical in the eyes of the public world, prominent governments were well aware of their existence. This particular politician demanded the American government create a list of all known mutants. He wanted every mutant to be found, tracked, and monitored. His obvious hatred for her kind was offensive and it pissed her off. It would be a huge benefit to their cause if he were to be eliminated. Magneto was going to be so proud.

Proud, of her first kill. Charles wouldn't be proud of her doing such a thing. He didn't understand that the Brotherhood cause was necessary. They were trying to change the world for the better, by ridding it of those who would hate or hurt them. Taking bad people out of the picture would have to make it better to live in, more tolerable for every mutant too afraid to reveal themselves. That just made sense. She wanted to have the choice to conceal what she really looked like in front of other people. No more hiding, no more feeling self-conscious, and no more letting others try to hurt her just for being what she'd been born as, a mutant.

Her brother, could never find out what she was going to do. She couldn't bear it if she were to see the disappointed look in his eyes at the knowledge she'd killed a man. Mystique had to kill this man though, for Magneto, for the cause. When Charles was sad, an even worse sight. When they were kids and Charles was sad, whether it was because his mom was away again or his step-father was mean, sometimes his emotions leaked out of him, extending into her. Since they were already connected as siblings who found each other, chose each other, she embraced the feelings as if they were her own, shared in his pain until it passed. She'd always felt it was the least she could do for how much friendship and kindness he'd shown her after giving her a home and a place to feel safe.

Guilt flooded through her. Shit. Like she didn't have enough of that every single day of her life. Ever since she'd left Charles on the beach, she hadn't felt the same. It was like there was a big hole right where her heart rested in her chest. He told her to leave that day. It was okay that she left. He hadn't been mad. No, he'd been devastated. She shook her head, as if to clear it of those thoughts. If he was that upset, he would of said something. Except, maybe he wouldn't. He was awfully self-sacrificing and did everything he could to help anyone who may be in need.

Ten years later and she only came to see him once, barely a week ago. He hadn't looked well. Worst sister of the year award definitely went to her. She thought about him every day at least once, and she often had a reoccurring dream she'd had all her life since Charles entered into her own. A dream where they were together against the world as she'd forever hoped would happen. But she'd never gone to see him and that was what mattered. That was what he would remember. She was probably nothing to him now. That particularly stung because she'd wanted to be his Raven forever, still did. To everyone else it was Mystique, but Charles, he wasn't anyone else.

She found her thoughts had irrevocably left focusing on the mission ahead of her and stuck on her constant sorrow. Which was probably best, since she was nervous and hesitant about the concept of taking a life. She wished her brother could be there with her. Years ago she'd accepted that it couldn't be, couldn't happen because Charles couldn't change. Raven would never want him to either. She loved him for being precisely who he'd always been. Perhaps that was the reason her visit with Charles after all this time had been so troubling.

Raven had found him a much changed man. From the things she'd heard him say, he'd sounded very much like himself. From what she'd seen, he'd looked tired and angry and that wasn't her Charles. If only their cause wasn't so important, then she could focus all her energy on helping her brother. If anyone deserved help, it was him. But Erik had said nothing about Charles since the visit. Magneto was strong, full of conviction, and chose to dedicate his life to the mutant cause. He knew best. He did.

"What troubles you, Myst?"

Raven casually shifted her yellow eyes over to where Azazel stood, standing near the altar. She hadn't heard the distinct crack of his teleportation taking place, but it didn't mean anything. Her mind was on..other things. She sat up quickly when she saw he'd not appeared alone. The other members of the group disbanded, heading either upstairs to the loft or in other rooms adjacent to the main room. Magneto, Emma, and Azazel remained, walking over to where she sat on one of the hard pews.

She'd never quite warmed to Angel, so was not too happy to see her linger by the small prayer area along with Janos, who preferred being called Riptide. She was kneeling down as if she were actually praying alongside Janos, who Mystique fully believed was saying a prayer. Maybe she was, too. Angel had sobered and grown up a lot since joining the movement for mutant supremacy. Both young, sometimes they confided their doubts with each other. It was the only moments they really bothered to spend time in each others' company.

"She has the telepath on her mind."

Mystique sent a glare Emma's way. The woman was a very different telepath from Charles, invading another's mind at leisure. He would never do that, while she took pleasure out of doing so. It was probably the reason Magneto could rarely be seen without his helmet on. Emma was an asset, but she sometimes had issues with doing precisely what she was told.

The shapeshifter had her fun pointing out how much more powerful Charles was than her often. Her little way of getting revenge on the bitch in white. Refocusing her attentions on the leader she adored and the man next to him she was sweet on, Mystique tried to clear her mind of her brother.

"It's nothing. How'd it go?"

"The event was postponed until Thursday so the attack will be delayed, but it will happen." Magneto told her, then smoothly switched topics. "You are bothered. Why?"

"Doesn't matter."

"If it distracts you from what needs to be done in two days, then it matters."

She said nothing about the mission she had planned for tonight, and gave great care not to let those thoughts enter her mind. She could only hope Azazel was smart enough to do the same. Magneto came to sit beside her, Emma and Azazel coming to a stop just before her.

"Do we really need the audience to talk about this?"

"I don't think you really care. You're avoiding."

"Says who?"

Emma opened her mouth, probably to answer for him, but Magneto waved her quiet. He tilted her chin upward and smiled, placing a gentle hand on her thigh. The touch was pure friendship and care for one of his own. Azazel and she both knew this. Their leader was a man who could be trusted. Reluctantly, she met his eyes.

"Because Charles is never nothing."

"He could be," muttered Emma.

Metal candleholders on a table nearby began to rattle. Well, that was a mistake for her to say out loud. Completely self-involved this woman. The original members of the Brotherhood who'd seen Charles and Erik together on that beach knew just how important the man in the wheelchair was to him. They'd been there for the first few years when Magneto raged frequently and spent most of his time alone, knowing it could all be attributed to a certain telepath who'd not taken the man up on his offer to fight the world together.

Magneto showed enormous restraint in not even turning in the woman's direction, his attention on Mystique alone.

"Was it the visit? Did it upset you?"

"Of course it did!" she snapped, childishly. Just as soon as it came out of her mouth, she tried to take it back with an apology. "I'm sorry. I... Magneto..."

He leaned back against the pew, continuing to meet her eyes as she twisted around partially on the bench in order to do the same. When it came to her brother, she was at a loss for words. Supposedly the Brotherhood's opposition, what was she supposed to say. Even if it was in Erik's company, this church was large but hollowed, with thin walls. It would not surprise her if the others heard every word that was said in this room. She found the words she knew she'd been thinking about ever since she'd seen the worn appearance of her brother during their brief visit.

"I think... I think he thinks you'd let us die if it'd serve your cause."

"You believe Charles thinks this of me?"

"I'm not sure he's wrong."

Silence loomed throughout the church. A very real silence. There wasn't even the chattering of the other members and the shuffling about that had been occurring before. They were all of them listening, just as Raven had feared they might. Either Magneto didn't notice, or more likely, he didn't care.

"You believe as I do, that we will never be accepted as we are. When the humans decide we are too threatening, they'll turn on us. It's only a matter of time. All of us believe the same things. We remain strong, we'll remain superior. We'll win."

He hadn't exactly replied to her concern. That in itself was in all likelihood the confirmation he would make sacrifices of his own kind in order to win out over the humans. It surprised her, and it didn't surprise her at the same time. Magneto was a man of conviction, dedicated to the cause, never doubting that what they worked toward was the right thing to do, the necessary thing.

"You mean to say..." she trailed off, needing to hear it from his mouth herself.

He didn't disappoint.

"There are casualties in any war."

Sudden shyness took her over. The intense stare was too much for her. Anger, confusion, fear, and doubt flowed through her. She pushed it back. Emotions didn't bode well for a soldier of the Brotherhood. If she was going to succeed in the assassination tonight, she had to remember how to tame her feelings, focus on what needed to be done, and recall defenses Azazel had taught her.

Emma was looking at her. Crap. If she was reading her thoughts right now then she would have heard everything she'd just thought about the mission. Speaking her mind usually did the trick of creating a diversion.

"Does there have to be a war?"

She asked her question quietly, softly. Nearly all of the time she tried to act tough, independent, and proud. This was a major change and it was because the gravity of what they were doing was hitting her. Ten years of seeing no end in sight and now she felt almost heartbroken at what this might mean.

"What if we spend our whole lives fighting and we never win? What if we don't get what we want?"

Raven nearly choked on what she was going to say next when Magneto looked at her with such surprise. She scanned the room. Emma continued to look the same as she usually did, haughty and assured. Azazel frowned slightly, but it was out of concern, not anger or confusion. He was one of the few she confided her personal feelings with. Magneto never heard them unless it was obvious, because he was a leader with plenty of work to do. She never wanted to bother him. He meant too much, was too important for that.

"What do you mean? We will fight until we defeat the humans and claim our birthright."

Realizing what she was preparing to say could mean she was kicked out, ostracized from the group, she nearly backed down from what she had to say. If Angel and Janos had been praying, they made no pretense to be doing so anymore. They were staring over at her. It was as she thought with the rest of their group, listening to every word their leader was saying, everything she said. Some even dared to stick their heads or eyes where they could, so they could see them talking, too.

Mutant and proud, sure, but they were still people who couldn't resist hanging onto every word Magneto said. Sometimes she thought Charles did have some good points. Mutants acted every bit like humans did. They ate, drank, slept, and lived their lives day by day. Her mind was made up in seconds. She had to say what she needed to because that was just the kind of person she was.

"Erik."

She hadn't called him Magneto. He looked at her, like he was waiting to assure her of whatever doubts she might be about to express. He could be so smooth with words at times and she genuinely hoped he could assuage her here and now as well.

"Erik, I thought, I thought eventually I'd be able to, that we'd be able to go home."

Magneto's face became stone. He'd shut down. Any minute now he'd be kicking her out of the Brotherhood and she'd be all alone again. She had nowhere to turn. She'd abandoned the only real home she had ever known. As time went by she thought she would be okay because the Brotherhood was her own kind, people she could be herself around. She thought maybe one day they would feel like a new home to her. A decade gone by and home remained the same even after all this time. She should just keep quiet now and hope it would be enough for him to let her stay.

A dark-skinned teenage girl from Louisiana stepped out from behind a wall at the front of the church. She could locate anyone in the world with just a thought.

"Do you think that's possible? That we won't be able to go home?"

"I don't know." Mystique breathed in response. "Forget it."

Magneto looked like he was going to, then one of his people came through the front door, out of breath.

"What?" the commanding presence in the room immediately asked.

The twenty-five or so man who had a tad bit of a reptilian appearance to go with his leaping ability tried to catch his breath for a moment and then nodded once to acknowledge all of them. Brushing off some dirt from his pants, he spoke to them.

"The rumors are true. There are some mutants gathering in Britain. We should find them, add to our numbers."

Emma smiled. "This is good news."

If nothing more had been said, perhaps she would have felt all right. She probably would have put the conversation behind her, gone on with this mission she'd been working so hard to put together for herself, and nothing would be any different. The news the messenger brought to them all but confirmed what she'd feared, what Charles had. If the Brotherhood kept on as they did, there would be a war. Mystique felt so stupid. Of course there would eventually be a war. She'd been plotting to murder a man with plenty of wealth and plenty of influence. If they continued to attack facilities and people who Magneto considered a threat to mutants, the humans would be forced to action. Were they doing what Magneto feared the humans would do to them one day?

"Of course we are, sweetie. It's called a preemptive strike."

Mystique flinched at this invasion into her privacy. She said his name without thinking, desperate to call off all the attention to her losing faith in the Brotherhood. Especially because it was temporary. It had to be. Magneto would say something to make her believe again and things would be fine. Just fine.

"Charles."

"What of the telepath, my dear?" Azazel queried.

Too late to go back now.

"He's home. Charles feels like comfort. He always feels like home. If we begin a war, I'll never be able to go home."

"Who is Charles?" the girl who'd spoken earlier, Monica, asked her curiously.

No one bothered to hide they were listening. All of the Brotherhood was in that church hideout and they were all witnesses to their leader and one of his best followers having this very dangerous, very complicated discussion. The things she was saying, no one else would dare for fear of Magneto's wrath. Besides, they all respected him too much. Each of them were probably thinking what an ungrateful and disloyal member she was being. Hard to blame them. She was questioning what they were doing, what their ends were to be.

The messenger scuffed his shoe on the hard floor. Emma lifted her eyes to him and then turned back to Magneto.

"Curious."

Magneto perked up, providing her his full attention. "What is?"

"The messenger brings other news." Emma informed. "He was exiting the area of his surveillance assignment when he was happened upon by a pair of Professor X's students. Not a coincidence. An American woman and a Japanese kid. An older man was with them, and they told him a story. As far as Darius here can tell, they were being truthful. A future Charles Xavier and a future Erik Lehnsherr, sent the man's mind into his younger body in order to time-travel. He came to this year to stop assassinations and attacks apparently performed by our organization. Attacks that cause the humans to retaliate with the birth of a project, a project that nearly wipes out everyone, both mutant and human."

"Can there actually be any truth to that?" asked Magneto, appearing reasonably doubtful.

Emma stared down the uncomfortable messenger currently having his mind combed through. "That's not the most interesting part. This man from the future gave Xavier the warning first, and was rejected. Now that doesn't sound like the telepath I recall."

Finally pulling out of his head, Emma glanced toward Magneto and the messenger breathed freely again, glaring at the female telepath.

"Don't do that! And, well, you missed the small detail about the future guy telling me about how they need Magneto's help apparently. They want him to help Charles hope again."

"What does that mean?" Azazel demanded.

The messenger shrugged. "I don't know. It's just what they said. That they need Magneto's help. He's the only one who can help. I don't know! I'm just the deliverer."

He moved away from the double doors and Monica was speaking again, raising questions of her own once more.

"Seriously, who's this Charles guy? And Professor..X?"

So many goddamn stares directed towards Magneto and in effect, herself. It was unnerving. Mystique could never be a leader. She preferred being at someone's side instead. Less pressure, more comfort to be herself. She wondered if that even made sense. She just didn't know about things sometimes.

"Professor X is Charles Xavier," Magneto said, raising his voice to be sure everyone heard him clearly. "He showed me I wasn't alone in this world. He unburied good memories I hadn't even known were in my mind. He stood by me when no one else would."

Raven felt his attention moving to her, even as he climbed to his feet. His gaze shifted to scan across the many faces staring back at him before he went on.

"What is relevant to you, is that he cares about mutants and..and he is a great man. Don't ever doubt that fact. A great man such as him will make change in the world. Even when it might appear he is against us, he isn't really. He fights our fight, through subtler means, but it is the same fight. He is one of us."

"You make him sound so wonderful." Angel put in, getting to her own feet from across the room. "If that's true, where has he been in all of this? Why have we barely heard a word from him all these years?"

"The two people he cared most for in this world left him bleeding on a beach with no way off it," the words flowed so easily off her tongue, she couldn't have stopped it if she'd tried. It was like for the first time she realized the full weight of what they'd done to Charles that day in Cuba.

Magneto fixed his gaze back down to her. "We will help him. He is one of us."

She watched as he shifted towards Azazel. "Bring him here."

The teleporter never hesitated to obey when it was Magneto. He hesitated. "He will not be happy."

"I know. But something has made my friend no longer what he was. If I can stop it here and now, I shall. And," he added, almost like an afterthought to the rest of the watching crowd of his followers, "If it preserves the mutant race at the same time, we need it."

Azazel nodded. "Very well."

He took a step back.

"Oh, and Azazel?"

"Yes?"

"Bring Mystique with you and for God's sake, get the man's permission to bring him or he'll make chopped vegetables of your brain in seconds."

The widening of his eyes in contrast to his red skin would have been comical if the situation had not been so bizarre and worrisome in its peculiarity. She transformed into her normal looking appearance, having acquired the ability to make people see clothes on her of any kind she was familiar with over the years, before taking Azazel's arm to transport. Would he even come? They'd have to move quick.

They returned to the church in a matter of minutes, Charles in tow, managing to make quite a presence, even in his chair. It had been easy to get him to come. Far too easy. Raven had but to ask him if he would please accompany her somewhere to see Erik and he was on board, ready to leave immediately. Even after a decade, she knew the man. What was going on with him? This was too eager, too simple. It was never that simple with her brother.

"Erik."

"Charles, thank you for agreeing to see me."

"I'm glad you asked permission this time, though you may have warned me before having your people pop up inside the grounds. Havok almost took Azazel's head off."

She observed Magneto looking her brother up and down, waiting for him to notice what she had instantly noticed. He did notice, and his frown even under the helmet, was very telling of that. Charles looked exhausted, hair kept but still rather long, and there was a bandage wrapped about one of his hands. Last she'd heard, one of his people could heal minor injuries. Why not have them heal the hand?

"What is this about? Wolverine come to see you?"

When he looked confused, Emma filled him in. "That's the time-traveler who came with the warning."

"Ah, Miss Frost, how've you been?"

"Oh, I have my days," she answered sweetly.

She stared at him, like she was trying to figure out what he was up to. Emma couldn't read his mind of course, not when he was a very skilled telepath, but Mystique could agree the behavior Charles exhibited was far too casual and friendly. When last she'd seen him a week ago, he'd shut them out. Now, he was trying too hard. Perhaps this was the manner in which he fooled his students into making them think everything was fine and he was still just Professor X of the school for mutants. If he wasn't, what did that make him?

"Charles, are you okay?" Raven questioned.

His eyes were for Erik though. "Erik, you're wearing the helmet and all so you know I can't read your mind, but, are you by any chance thinking of that day on the beach? The day you left?"

Magneto was shocked, and he wasn't the only one. How could Charles have read that off of body and facial language alone? She had seen how close they'd been to each other those weeks they'd spent getting to know-Was Charles smiling? He was. It was a small smile, but a smile.

"I understood. That's why I let you go that day on the beach. Why I let Raven leave with you. You are not at peace. You struggle every day to seek some means of having it. I believe one day you will find peace, and breathe again, without concern and anger throbbing ceaselessly in your mind. I hope to create that world for you."

Magneto pushed his puzzlement and insecurities at having his old friend present down, far down where they couldn't affect him. "I'm already working on that world, Charles. I mean to rule the humans so they cannot imprison us, hate us, move against us. We are the superior species. We have a right to rule them."

"No one has the right, to do what you do. I wish you would stop. I know you cannot. Perhaps I would have been better suited as a healer. That way, I could heal the wounds inside of you and this way you and I are now, wouldn't have to be."

Raven's heart broke. She was pretty sure she could see Erik's heart breaking, too.

"Charles, I need you here."

Now the rest of his people were shifting, shuffling, looking uncertain as to what was going on between their leader and this man they didn't even know.

"I need you, Erik. But I don't need Magneto. Don't even want him. He scares me."

"I don't mean to. I would never mean to."

It came out so earnestly, so genuine. Raven stared at Erik in wonder. Had she missed something big all those years in the past?

"Sometimes when we make choices, consequences result that we did not intend."

Hands clapping, slow, measured. "Couldn't have put that better myself."

Some of Magneto's mutants moved out from their awful hiding positions, ready to defend should the duo now standing at one corner of the church's back make a move. The tall, muscular looking man who looked to be in his late teens, was clearly agitated. Meanwhile, the woman at his side was of a smaller size but she didn't look any less of a threat. Both wore armored suits of a black shade, both had matching blonde hair and blue eyes. Siblings? Most likely. Mystique would even argue they could be twins.

"Who are you?"

The demand was made simultaneously by Erik and Charles, who glanced each other's way when this happened. Charles was immediately distracted though, by the female of the pair.

"Charles Xavier. We've been looking for you."

"Why?"

This had come from both Erik and Charles again. While they stared at one another, Emma snickered, and Mystique couldn't help but smile slightly. So alike. Why couldn't they be together? It would be so perfect. Life never seemed to end up how you wished it would.

"I'm Apocalypse. This is Anomaly. We-No!"

She'd broken off her own introduction when something most unexpected occurred. Yet another visitor to their church appeared. This one was very, very different though. He wasn't real. It was an astral projection of a man. The man was bald, wearing a black uniform of some sort. He sat in a wheelchair and his eyes were of a deep blue. Unmistakably, the eyes told those who knew him that he was Charles Xavier. A much older Charles, but it was him.

The projection appeared directly before the real and physical one, making it clear he was there to speak with himself. The younger Charles, their Charles, stared at himself. If an older version of herself had appeared, she would have been shocked, amazed, bewildered and impressed. Charles merely looked..blank. There might have been a little anger there, too. Where was her true brother?

"I've come because I suspect Logan has not demonstrated the necessary resolve it will take to bring you back from your depression."

"Hey, I take offense to that."

Logan or Wolverine, had just walked through the church's front doors. Mystique was beginning to think this was a rather bad hideout. Everyone seemed to be finding it with ease. Wolverine had probably followed Darius here. He wasn't exactly the stealthiest and most aware of their crew.

The projection didn't seem to hear Logan. Either it couldn't hear outside sources, or the future Charles was ignoring him.

"The war we fight in my present, is terrible. We've lost so many."

Her Charles was shaking his head. "I don't want to hear this. I don't want to know your suffering."

Wolverine was talking again, looking impatient that his attempts to warn everyone of the future to come was leading to zero change.

"There won't be mutants versus humans, Magneto."

Magneto raised an eyebrow, staring at the newcomer who was addressing him instead of Charles.

"There will only be those who follow the law of the Sentinels, and those who would oppose it. Those who do, die. We are the resistance. We live in a world of flame and ash. It is a terrible place." Wolverine explained persistently.

"It's a fine place. A world we were born into. We've learned to survive in hell and we like it that way." Apocalypse shared with them.

Magneto narrowed his eyes. "You'd turn this planet into hell?"

Charles regarded the pair at the back of the church for the first time. "Sounds alright. I'm already burning."

Horror spread across Mystique's face. What?! How could her brother say something like that? What was wrong with him? She felt so lost. This wasn't right. Nothing felt right any more.

His older self appeared unaffected. He stared at their Charles until their gazes locked. "We need you..to hope again."

The projection faded away and Wolverine started to walk over to the young Charles, staring blankly at where his future self had appeared only a minute before. He opened his mouth to speak to him but their sibling visitors were having none of that apparently. Mystique stared at who she knew already she was not going to like, the girl in black armor.

Apocalypse stepped towards the buff man in the leather jacket, currently making his way to Charles, and put a stop to it.

"You. You're interfering. You shouldn't be here."

"And what is it exactly I'm interfering with?"

Wolverine sounded suspicious. Mystique knew it was with good reason. These two were up to something. What that was, she didn't know, but it felt bad. From what they'd said, they were from the future that apparently sucked. That probably meant at least one of them could time-travel. Why they were here in the past? There was a high probability they meant to stop what the other time-traveler, Wolverine, meant to do. If he wanted to prevent the future war, they must want to make sure it happened.

Wolverine's inquiry went ignored. Instead, Apocalypse looked at him with much annoyance evident on her face.

"Go-away."

She waved her hand effortlessly in his direction as she said this, and Wolverine vanished in a bluish cloud. Mystique couldn't just sit and watch everything just happen now. She stood up from the pew.

"What did you do to him?" she demanded.

Apocalypse was the epitome of calm. "I sent him to a different place a year from now, where he can't be in this time to interfere."

"Interfere with what? Preventing this supposed future from taking place." Charles was saying. His face was still so blank, emotionless. She didn't like it. "You came to see me, to ask me to come with you."

"Yes. We just want to talk to you. Then we'll take you back to your school. Hear what we have to say. That's all we ask." Anomaly explained.

"Don't listen to them, Charles! They're obviously up to no good. They seek to manipulate you." Erik tried, sounding almost desperate. That was very unlike him.

"The humans aren't the problem, Erik. This I've tried to explain to you. You will not hear me. Perhaps someone else will."

"What does that mean?"

"This world is the problem." Charles answered solemnly, scanning the room of inhabitants with his eyes, settling back on Magneto. "It's much harder to hope and lose that hope, than it is to never bother to hope in the first place. You were right, Erik. Right not to hope in a better world. There is no better. There is only the darkness. The cold, the despair."

"If you come with us, we promise we will help you to find the power to change the world." Anomaly told him.

A smile split his face. Mystique missed his real smiles. This was fake, this was mean, this was not Charles. Her fists clenched as he wheeled himself over to the siblings waiting for him. He was turning his back on them. How could he do this? His leaving them now was like when he'd turned down Magneto's offer on the beach. It hurt.

She watched as all three of them disappeared in a puff of blue smoke and light, like Wolverine had gone. Her stomach was starting to hurt. Seeing her brother twice within a week made her understand just how much he meant to her. The Brotherhood and helping mutants was important. But Charles, he was family. Family who had just turned his back on her. She wondered if Magneto had meant what he'd said.

"We'll give him a day." Magneto said aloud, to her, to everyone. "Then we find him."

She saw how he meaningfully looked in Monica's direction before she gripped one of his arms with her hand.

"We're going to help him?" she asked hopefully.

The last thing she wanted was for these two to end up fighting each other their entire lives when they obviously did better together. Her reply came quick, earnest, and if she was not mistaken, a tad emotionally. Magneto usually kept his emotions guarded, aside from the anger which sometimes slipped out. But his words were filled with such determination, she felt like their leader was going to make everything all right.

"Charles needs us."


	5. X

Chapter Four

X

York, England

They appeared in a beautiful courtyard, filled with flowers of a variety. A young couple wandered by, but they were the last. No one else was in sight. No one was there to bother them while they explained to Charles Xavier what he was capable of. That was exactly how they began the conversation as well.

"You have no idea what you could be, what you are capable of. You are destined for greatness, Charles. Let me show you the way."

She watched as he looked up at her, curiosity and awe evident, but more suspicion present than anything else. A glance to her brother told her that he saw the same. He grinned at her and then looked to the telepath who would one day be known for his great works. Great works that eventually evolved to nothing but the world they knew as their own. A world full of fear and despair, a world where she and her brother were like gods, powerful and dangerous. They and their family brought hope to the new world, that under the Sentinels reign, they could prosper and succeed.

"Charles, I would like to give you a gift. Is that okay?" Anomaly asked him.

There was no answer. Anomaly didn't wait for long before he approached, slow and measured. Freely allowing Charles to enter his mind to show him he meant no harm. In fact, he meant quite the opposite. He meant to help the man surrounded by friends, who remained utterly alone despite this reality. His sister had done good work in bringing an alternate version of Xavier to the present they were currently occupying. He'd done an excellent job of breaking the man down into what they needed him to be.

Anomaly glanced toward his sister and was grateful to see the telepath was too busy burrowing inside of her mind, instead of his own. He pushed down thoughts of their plans, building up metaphorical walls between them and the rest of his mind. Then he knelt down next to Xavier's chair, meeting his gaze as he knew he'd want.

"You hold yourself back. It is why you lose so much. You are far more powerful, yet refuse to use your full potential."

The professor winced, a reaction not completely unexpected. He'd chosen the words carefully, from words Apocalypse had told him were used by his very own alienated friend, Erik Lehnsherr, or Magneto. Those closest to the telepath betraying him a decade ago, had been their way in. Now, continuing to mold his mind with their ends would be the manner in which they kept him as their own weapon to forge their future.

He placed his hands atop Charles's thighs, noting his touch went unnoticed. No sensation at all in the telepath's legs. His fingers danced along the weakened muscles of unused legs. The man only noticed because of the movement of his hands, frowning down at the stranger before him. Dead cells, extending from his waist to his toes. Anomaly smiled. He could fix that.

"Forget absolution. Forget your obligation and feel free again. Explore genetic mutations, do what you love most. You can be free of your suffering. Let them go. They are your past. You, along with us, are the future."

Anomaly stood, stepping away from Charles. "I think you've spent long enough in that chair. Stand up. Claim what's yours."

The telepath frowned at him, then Apocalypse in turn. "And what is mine to claim?"

"Everything. The world is yours. Mine. The world is mine."

He didn't know if Charles realized he'd spoken out loud, an answer to his own question. It was likely he hadn't. Their alternate Charles had gone through a lot of effort to make sure this Charles didn't know what was being done to him. Together, he and his sibling looked to the man shadowing them. The man who was disappearing further into the dark spot of the building again. He would remain present. The man would always remain present.

"Stand, Professor Xavier."

In absolute amazement, Charles did as he said and reveled in the legs he could now feel. Wonder and joy filled him as he realized he could not only feel his legs, but they were strong and ready for immediate use. He was certain he could walk, he knew without a doubt that he could even run. Anomaly watched the professor understand what had been fixed, what possibilities existed, and simply waited. He was not left disappointed.

"No. It's X now."

Anomaly grinned. Apocalypse matched his prideful grin. They'd succeeded. A different Charles Xavier would mean the future they knew was all the more likely to exist. This was a good day.

"Let's get you cleaned up, X."

"Yes. Those with mutations are what started my problems. They've been hurting regular people with claims they are the ones prejudiced. They think themselves superior to everyone without a mutation. They are the threat. This is not right. I will put a stop to these wrongs."

"How will you do this, X?" Apocalypse asked him, smiling encouragingly.

A smile spread across his face. "I will kill them all."

The fire raged, spreading with a ferocity that couldn't be matched. Ash and debris rained down from the murky sky. There was a woman screaming, but it soon cut off, silenced by a rock fist to the head. The man entirely made of granite shifted back to his regular form as soon as he'd left the collapsing building behind. Shouldering a weighty looking bag over one shoulder, he used the other arm to wave at those awaiting him.

"Got it. Vests for all of us."

He passed them out to the waiting group of four. State of the art black armored vests engineered by British scientists, stored in an armory in York. Deemed too expensive for British soldiers to ever be outfitted with. Now a gift to all of them from Joseph Novak, AKA Granite.

A woman walked over to him and dropped a mostly empty bag at Granite's feet. She'd been inside the building with him to retrieve supplies they could use. She could turn invisible, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

"Well, well, what have we got here, Melissa?"

She sighed. "It's Blink now, Granite. And it's what I found to share with everyone, too."

He kicked open the bag and smiled. "Weapons. Fun."

When they were each of them outfitted with the vests, their group's uniform was complete. All of them wore bright red tops underneath the black vests. Granite wore a hooded sweatshirt, Blink wore a tank top, while Amy Benson and Jeremy Tallick wore a flowing red dress and a red t-shirt respectively. The latter two were known as Truth and Nightmare. Amy or Truth's mutation allowed her to get the truth from anyone simply by speaking to them. Nightmare, on the other hand, was all about lies. He could get into someone's head and create false realities or memories, making them trapped and suffering inside their own mind. Each of the members worked to serve a purpose for one man, their newfound leader.

Marcus Smith or Shield, was the leader of this group of society's misfits. They were called Reapers, because they sought to gather more recruits and they killed any who got in their way or didn't agree with the freedom for mutants they sought. Marcus was the only member aside from Amy to come from Britain. The rest were from America, where they would be heading soon. Shield lived up to his name, body immune to just about anything, and he was even capable of stifling others' powers if he so chose. He wore a black suit with a red silk shirt and a cape, a deep red cape, the color of blood.

They weren't sure where the idea for the cape had come from, but it did make the man look rather daunting, especially with the armored vest now added to his attire. His skill at speaking and ability to exude strength only added to his image as a person meant to lead. His team followed him because he promised them their abilities would grant them power. Their goal was to rebuild the world in the image of mutants. They would each of them become something one day because of this man. He gave them the courage to be who they were meant to be.

New York, New York

"Charles is here?"

Monica frowned in the blue-skinned mutant's direction, placing her hands on both hips as she took in their surroundings after teleporting near Central Park West with Mystique and Azazel. They were the scouting team. The remainder of the original six: Emma, Janos, Angel, and of course Magneto, would join them once Charles's location was confirmed. It had been the Brotherhood leader's orders that they be the ones to find and help Charles, whatever way they could. No one had fought him on it though. They could see how much it meant to their boss that the telepath be okay. When they arrived to the place their fellow member swore he was, the sight that fell upon them was shockingly unexpected.

When Monica's eyes finally landed upon their target, unveiling his presence to the rest, it was to a sight Mystique could not believe. The ones who only knew Professor Xavier a little could even see how wrong this sight was. Charles was here all right. He acted like nothing they'd seen before. In a few moments, Monica was whisked away from New York, back to the church hideout in Alexandria. Azazel returned to the expansive park in New York; Magneto, Emma, Janos, and Angel in tow.

The first thing the original six noticed, Charles was standing. There was no wheelchair in sight. Charles was standing and walking, easily. He was a good distance away yet but it was an incredible sight to witness. Their amazement at the professor's ability to walk again came and went when they fully took in just what he was doing. He was hurting people. A man in his late 20's and a woman of approximately the same age, cowered against a tree while Charles advanced on them. In seconds the pair were screaming and clawing at their heads, rolling around as if in absolute agony.

"Charles!" Raven cried out at the horrible sight in front of her.

She ran for him before any of the rest of them could react. When they did, it was to follow her. She was so close, only yards away, when he let up on the attack of the strangers strewn on the grass. Charles did this in favor of turning towards them. His eyes were glowing a bright blue. She'd never seen that before. It frightened her. She got the distinct impression this light in his eyes was from the amount of power being expended. He had to stop.

Her attention lingered from her brother to his poor victims lying on the ground. They didn't get up. She didn't think they could. They only moaned and twitched weakly on the grass. Angel went to them. Mystique heard her asking them if they were okay. She refocused on her priority.

"Charles? You're..walking."

"Astute observation. So tell me, will you be a shepherd or a sheep?"

"How did it happen? This is wonderful! Did you meet a mutant who could heal?"

He cocked his head at her. "Not exactly. If you'll excuse me."

Charles made to round on the quaking people practically sobbing from whatever they'd just experienced in their minds. The male of the two apparently deciding he needed to do something aside from weeping, sat upright, lifting his arm which suddenly engulfed in blue flame. Mystique startled. So he was a mutant, maybe even the woman, too. Why would Charles ever hurt another mutant? Forget that. Why would her sibling hurt any person, ever?

"Charles! Stop!" she cried out.

Glancing to her side, she watched Emma was stepping forward now, seeking to go head to head with a fellow telepath. Magneto was moving forward as well, but they all knew it was to ensure no harm came to his old friend. Mystique knew it couldn't be that way, not right now. She looked to him until he remembered himself and she was satisfied. That came when he recalled he was a leader now, Magneto, with armor and a helmet and a cape. He gave his orders, Azazel removing the would-be victims from the area and returning in a matter of heartbeats, Emma trying to force a pathway into Charles's head. The rest remained back where they could move at a moment's notice, but otherwise kept out of the way.

Mystique stood closest to her brother, aside from Emma, anxious and searching for a semblance of recognition. She wasn't finding any in him. It didn't make any sense. Why was he acting like they were nothing more than strangers?

"What's wrong with you?" she demanded of him.

"I see it now, but I don't understand it." Emma informed her boss.

"Explain," His lips had thinned, his jaw tightening. "What you mean."

Instead of explaining it to Magneto, she explained it to the subject in question.

"Someone who does not belong to this time has been whispering in your ear, Charles. Someone has changed you."

He scoffed at her. When Magneto tried to agree with his follower and steer his friend away from his insanity, all he got for his trouble was cold, detached laughter. There was no possibility for Mystique to ignore what Emma had said either. This wasn't her Charles one bit.

"Do not lay blame on another." Charles was practically scolding with his tone of voice. "It is you who chose the wrong path, not I."

She was impressed. Erik did stupendously at swallowing down his personal feelings, playing the role of Magneto as he fixed a glare on Charles.

"So this, this path you're on now, is the better one? Look at yourself. This is not you!"

Charles smiled, a half smile, a fake one. Then he actually looked down at himself. He was dressed just like Professor Xavier always was, nicely. Today he wore dress pants, shoes, and a dark blue dress shirt. If his eyes weren't aglow from emanating a high degree of telepathic power, the shirt would have made his already deep blue eyes stand out. The man had discarded his assortment of sweaters since he'd stopped being a recent college graduate and become a professor with nice shirts and suits. Mystique knew this because she'd kept her eye on him at a distance for all these years. How could she not?

"Hm..Perhaps you're right. I always imagined black could be my color."

Magneto shook his head, an abrupt dismissal at the attempt to make light of his concern. Her hope that Charles was actually fine and just a little confused or desperate to make the world better at a more rapid pace, was lost at his reply. The immediate anger was a shock.

"How can you know who I am when you turned your back on me as I was!"

"This isn't you." Erik repeated, more quietly this time.

The calm that overcame her brother was as sudden as Erik's was. "It's all that's left."

"Now I don't believe that for a moment."

The glow in his eyes faded until they became his regular blue hue. Instead of angry or cold, Charles just looked sad. Mystique's gaze flickered from her brother to her mentor, studying their reactions and searching for a sign they were able to reach each other. Hanging onto that damn hope her brother had always seemed to hold to so much, except for right now.

"Our beliefs are never quite the same, are they?"

She frowned at him. How could he say that? How could he be so infuriatingly un-Charles like. She was concerned for her brother, but she was starting to get pretty ticked off, too. It was startling when Emma seized the moment of tension and discomfort between once old friends to actually be of use and not just annoying.

"When did you last sleep?"

Charles shifted his gaze slightly in her direction, taking the time to scan Azazel, Janos, and Angel in the same single glance. For the most part, he kept his attention on Erik, and Mystique thought that was probably an improvement. She, for one, didn't care if a decade had gone by since the two had had a civil conversation that lasted. They were meant to be on the same side and working together for all mutants. She saw that. Why couldn't they?

Mystique found herself releasing air she hadn't realized she'd been holding in, when her brother actually answered Emma.

"I sleep all the time, but it's like I haven't slept at all when I wake."

The intensity in which the female telepath was staring Charles down, increased. Mystique could tell Emma was burrowing through his mind as rapidly as she could, her eyes flickering back and forth as she sifted through what was likely a lot of information, not to mention walls her brother had surely fortified to keep the majority of his mind private and protected. She knew the diamond woman would only get what Charles allowed her, maybe a fraction more. Her brother was the most powerful mutant she'd ever seen, Magneto included, and with what he'd been displaying today, he was even stronger than she had thought possible.

"What were you doing just now? Why were you harming those mutants?"

So Emma confirmed it for Mystique; the man and woman her brother was hurting before were mutants. Charles was in trouble. She didn't know how much just yet, but she was planning to find out. The ease at which he answered Emma's alarming question did little to ease the worry Mystique held for him.

"Mutants must be exterminated in order to protect the human race."

Well that was far from an anticipated response. Mystique glanced wildly about her as if the answers would be found somewhere nearby, then returned to look at the man who was not her brother.

"Charles! How can you say that?!" she demanded.

"You are mutant." Azazel stated, pointing out the obvious contradiction to such a statement.

Emma shushed them all, moving closer to where Charles was standing, beseeching he give her his full attention.

"Why do you think this?"

Charles began to speak, looking like the answer would be easy, then stuttered to an abrupt halt when he found he had nothing to say. His eyes darted, searching for what he needed to say in response, but he apparently came up empty. Emma was not letting him off that easily. She persisted, emphasizing her request as to why he thought mutants had to die.

His confusion was evident. She used that, delving into the shallowest recesses of his mind in order to draw out his long-held dream in a world of peace. Mystique didn't think she'd even needed to peek inside to know such an idea existed in the man. Maybe she liked having even some small access to a telepath of Charles Xavier's level, or maybe she really did have difficulty comprehending a selfless person.

"What about peace? You wish to build a world where there is peace between humans and mutants. Would a dream of that magnitude be so easily forgotten by you?"

"Yes. Peace. A world where no one has to be afraid; I want that." Charles frowned, confusion overtaking what had sounded so certain. "No, wait, it isn't what I want. Mutants need to die."

The telepath straightened and stared slightly upward, straight ahead at Emma for the first time. "I'm X now."

Emma smiled, but it was a tight smile. A look they recognized. She was guarding, trying not to resort to her diamond form to protect herself as the assault on her mind started. In an instant she slipped into her diamond form, faltering backwards and making a startled gasp.

"Someone's been in his mind." she informed them, solidifying her stance. "Who ever it was, is a real professional. They know what they're doing and barely left a trace of their manipulation. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear it was him. I think..I think..."

Mystique waited eagerly for Emma's answer. They were all looking for a reason to Charles's inexplicable tapping into a dark side she never could have believed existed. So naturally, before they could understand the situation, they were disturbed by the strangers.

Blonde twin number one appeared directly beside Magneto in what was likely an unintentional occurrence. Number two ended up seemingly right where she wanted, beside Angel and company keeping back from the pair of telepaths, a man at her elbow. A man in a black suit and white shirt underneath, stood beside her. A man with combed brown hair, defined cheekbones, and a very unsettled expression on his face.

Blonde number one, Anomaly, if Mystique was remembering that right, remedied his situation, shuffling away from Magneto to be closer to the telepaths. In effect, he moved nearer to where she was when he did, and that got her contemplating the methods of attack she could utilize on him. These two never seemed to do anything but undo whatever she was trying to, so it was only natural for her to have an inclination to not like them. The fact that they had the audacity to bring one Sebastian Shaw inexplicably from the past to their present, was horrifyingly increasing her now intense dislike of this pair of siblings.

They were all surprised, beyond surprised. Mystique immediately looked over to Magneto, who showed the most emotions out of any of them. Magneto usually only let anger show on the outside to his Brotherhood. In this moment, surprise, confusion, pain, fear, and anger all passed across his face. Mostly in his eyes though. He had always had very expressive eyes.

Everyone looked to Magneto to say something. His attention was drifting back over to Charles, noting the lack of recognition in his eyes. Then Charles locked eyes with Magneto and it was as though the confusion had lifted. He seemed completely focused and calm, like he'd been upon their initial arrival to the park. Mystique doubted this was a positive change.

She tried speaking to Charles in her mind, like they always did when they needed each other, needed to feel a deep, heartfelt connection.

"Charles. Charles, I need you to hear me. I need you. Please, that's Shaw. You remember him. Remember how you stopped him to stop a war? You stopped him to save both humans and mutants. Saving people means so much to you. Remember. Hold on to that."

She knew he'd heard by the manner in which he inclined his head toward her, but then his eyes set themselves on Apocalypse, who'd taken it upon herself to introduce the man they all knew and couldn't believe they were seeing. Shaw was dead. This wasn't supposed to be. Damn time-travelers, muddling everything up. She'd really like to do some physical harm to that girl right now.

"Greetings! X, I see you're being distracted by old acquaintances. I thought it might be more efficient for you to align yourself with others. They can help you kill your enemies, the weaker mutants who don't deserve life. I bring you Sebastian Shaw."

X? Charles had called himself X. What was that all about? She'd given him the nickname of Professor X herself in what felt like a lifetime ago, but, somehow the way they were just saying X, sounded..wrong. Somehow it sounded bad.

"I'm sure you're wondering how he can be here now, alive. You shouldn't wonder. I am capable of traveling through time. I went to a day each of you remember very prominently. Cuba, the beach, that defining moment that severed a powerful relationship that could have done miracles." Apocalypse shrugged once. "Your loss, my gain. I pulled him to-"

"He disappeared," Magneto filled in suddenly. "I was going to kill him, Charles knew it. I had the coin in my grasp, and then, he vanished into thin air. How can I remember that, when I remember killing him, too? I remember that day in both ways, like they both happened. I remember when Shaw died, but I remember when he just disappeared, too. How is that possible?"

"Tell me about it."

Magneto snapped his mouth shut and glanced sharply at who had spoken, Shaw. The man continued to look..unsettled, for lack of a more accurate way to describe it.

"I remember dying, and I remember being tugged away from that submarine and through time to now as well."

Shaw looked around himself, seeing those he'd known as enemies and those he'd known as allies, all staring at him.

"So..this is a different time? When is it?"

Usually silent, it was Riptide who surprisingly was the first to speak directly to Shaw.

"1973. I did not think I would lay eyes upon you again."

Now it was Shaw's turn to act unnatural from everything Mystique had seen and heard about him those ten years ago. He glanced down and away, still looking unsettled. It was like the man was uncomfortable in his own skin.

"I brought him for you, X." Apocalypse explained. "Perhaps, Shaw, you can reignite your Hellfire Club, mold the world to something different. X, here, will be a brilliant asset."

Anomaly took his turn to speak. "What do you say about reuniting your team, Shaw? Go on. You have work to do."

Shaw shuffled in his place but only looked like the cocky, confident Sebastian Shaw they knew, when Charles moved to stand in front of him. He extended an arm until the somewhat befuddled man shook it.

"Your Hellfire Club has all the members if they'll come." Charles mentioned with a slight upturn of one side of his mouth. "Riptide, Azazel, Emma, and..even Angel." His attention scanned over the four he'd named. "Will you come?"

Magneto stared as Mystique did, wondering how this could be happening. How did Shaw suddenly enter into the picture and Charles, of all people, end up on his side? This was insane. This wasn't happening.

Erik seemed to agree. "Charles, what are you doing? That's Shaw you're standing next to. That's-"

He clamped his mouth shut when Emma walked over to stand with Charles and Shaw.

"To be at your side again, Shaw? Why not? I always did love power," she practically purred.

Mystique's mouth was gaping open. She didn't even care. This was not possible. She was especially not believing this when Riptide went to stand by Shaw, followed shortly by Angel, and then Azazel.

"Azazel!" she yelled to him before she could stop herself. This wasn't happening.

He looked at her directly, and she could see his eyes wide, trying to speak to her. She didn't understand it though. Why couldn't she know him enough to read his eyes? Only Charles had she ever known like that and now, now it was like he was a stranger.

"I believe whatever side Charles Xavier is on, is a smart choice, Myst."

She couldn't even find the strength to glare at him. She was too puzzled, too confused as to what was going on.

"Charles." Erik tried. "Charles, this is madness. How can you stand with Shaw? You know what he did to me, to so many others. He hates humans! He'll never see your world of peace come true."

"You don't even believe in that world, Erik. You don't believe in me."

"I..look, step away from them. Come stand over here. Or, or if not me, stand by your sister, okay? I need you to trust me."

Charles looked at him, straight in the eyes. "What was it you said about being at the mercy of those merely following orders? Ah yes? Because I certainly do."

"Please, Charles. Trust me." Erik pleaded, desperate and clearly afraid for her brother.

He nodded in Azazel's direction and they began to link together in preparation of being teleported elsewhere. His gaze lowered, returning to meet Erik's.

"Never again."

They disappeared, leaving Erik and Raven with the twins who'd just destroyed their attempt to reach Charles. Receiving smug looks from each of them, Mystique then watched them vanish also. And why shouldn't they go? They'd gotten what they came for. Charles, gone, becoming another who could never coexist with the real Charles, her Charles. It seemed the twins would get their damned future after all.

She sank to the grass, pulling her knees close to her chest, and began to sob, calling out for her brother in her mind like she always did when she was hurting and afraid. Raven forced her sobbing to quiet when she felt someone approach and Erik knelt down to take hold of her hand. Placing it between both of his own, he waited until she lifted her chin up to face him.

"Monica was wrong. Charles was not here."

Raven started to turn away when the tears wouldn't stop, but Erik placed fingers under her chin to tilt her head up gently. She let him and met determined eyes, not even realizing she'd slipped into her regular blonde girl looking appearance until just then.

"It is good, we know him so well. I know just where to find him."

Swallowing hard, she felt something warm blossoming in her chest. Was this hope?


	6. Missions

Chapter Five

Missions

Chicago, Illinois

Marcus Smith stood outside the Federal Reserve Bank, widely grinning at the dozens of federal agents and local police officers surrounding the building. Granite and Blink flanked him on either side, while Nightmare and Truth finished up their jobs inside. Truth was busy working her magic with the bank employees, while Nightmare kept everyone who she didn't need coherent, babbling and weeping with the visions of terror he conjured into their minds.

His people knew what they needed to do. They would succeed or his usefulness for them would run out. Now he had only to wait for the inevitable stupidity of puny regulars and their escape route would be secure. He took a step forward, at least a dozen guns coming up to fire on him. He was testing the waters.

Scanning the crowd of onlookers greedily searching for some entertainment in the form of an in-progress bank robbery, he continued to grin. Several news channels had finally arrived. It was time to give the signal. Slowly, he raised up his arms to proclaim his message to the people, without having the foolish police shoot him before he was ready.

"Citizens of Chicago, my name is Marcus Smith," he called out to everyone gathered. "But I have a new name. My name now is Shield. You see, I have been reborn. Myself and those who follow me, who believe what I believe, we call ourselves Reapers. Reapers, because we reap more to our cause. Our cause is to create a new world, one where those chosen will live as kings!"

His gaze landed on a brave young woman with the gall to push past one of the police barricades briefly in order to shout a question out to him.

"Mr. Smith, can you respond to recent allegations that your people have been pulling random citizens from the Chicago area off the street, looking to further your agenda by brainwashing them into spreading your message for a new world designed for chosen ones?"

"Can I respond? I speak now, that if you have heard from anyone, then it is proof this world will come to be. We have traveled across Britain and America, to spread word of what we seek to accomplish. Those spreading the word have seen our power and know we will do what we've set out to. We will make a new world. We will crush the weak and give power and wealth to the strong. If you are mutant, join us. In this new world of ours, you will be rulers, leaders, and gods. Mutant is power. Mutants are gods. Mutants are the future, the rest are just..chaff."

The reporter was being yelled at, getting shoved back behind the barrier between the police and the onlookers, yet she managed one final question to him.

"Mr. Smith! The American government has claimed for years that mutants aren't real, despite numerous eye-witness reports stating otherwise. Are you saying mutants exist? Are you one of them?"

He grinned from ear to ear before toning down his glee, shifting about to get in a good view of his captive audience.

"I am mutant." He shoved his cape aside as he began to stroll about the bank entrance, unnerving the regulars training their weapons on him. "All my followers are mutant as of present. Your choice is simple. Be exterminated, or follow my lead."

He spun and swung his arms forward and to his side, fully intending to appear hostile. They did not disappoint him. At least half a dozen of the guns trained on him opened fire. The bullets flew at him and suddenly deflected while yet several full inches away from touching him. The projectiles flew through the air back towards the police officers and bystanders. He hadn't even lifted a finger. There was a reason he called himself Shield.

Several officers went down, along with a man amongst the crowd, screams ringing out everywhere. Some of the crowd started to disperse in fright, while the officers stood ready to fire while looking uncertain whether they should. They really shouldn't.

He smiled at them with pure delight. He did so love his violence. He thoroughly enjoyed terror as well and as Nightmare emerged from the bank, weighted down by bags of money, Marcus gestured toward Granite's direction.

"Let's show these people our power."

Nightmare smirked at him and practically tossed his bags at his ally, eager to display his skills. Placing his hands to either side of his head, he let the smirk fade in order to concentrate. He settled into a squatting position and closed his eyes. Less than a minute later, the first of the screams began. Cries for help and panic-induced shouting and running started soon after. Some people just curled themselves onto the ground, while others fled wildly in whatever random direction they deemed would somehow save them from the horrific images being projected into their heads.

"Dead bodies?" he asked his fellow mutant.

His man managed a weak smile, half of his mouth upturning briefly before dropping back into a firm line of concentration and focus. He did answer. They obeyed him always.

"I got creative. Dragons are attacking, tearing people to shreds and setting buildings on fire."

Marcus laughed. "Beautiful!"

Blink moved up to his side. "Granite's got our new funding. Let's go."

Granite led the way with the money, Blink just behind, Truth moving to a position at his side, while Nightmare took up the rear. He required close proximity to his targets so he'd need to keep back until they made it to their transportation out of the area.

Making a sharp turn down the third alley in a row, they were a decent enough distance away. He placed his hand on Nightmare's shoulder and the man immediately opened his eyes, his hold on the large number of people released. Exhausted by the exertion of power, Truth moved from Marcus's side to his, helping him stay upright.

Another turn and their vehicle was in sight. So were a set of men in black suits and sunglasses. Federal agents of some sort perhaps. They looked ridiculously stereotypical. They must have skill of a useful kind to locate their method of transport so quickly.

He pushed through his people and approached the men first. "Who are you and what do you want? Answer now, my patience wears thin."

The two glanced at one another and then one of them opened the front passenger door for a third man in a suit. At least this man wasn't wearing the absurd sunglasses. It was a cloudy Thursday.

"Am I correct in assuming you're the one known as Shield, leader of the Reapers?"

He frowned. He didn't feel like playing games. "I suspect you already know the answer to your own question. Don't waste my time."

"I can appreciate a man who prefers getting straight to business. My name is Agent Adam Adams. This here is Agent Jones and Agent Carter."

"FBI?"

"NSA, actually. We got a lot more intel. and a lot more toys. The vests you happened to acquire of your own accord, those are our making."

He solidified his stance while Granite dropped the bags, shifting to rock form. They were ready for a fight. He hoped for a fight.

"And I suppose you've come to reclaim your property?" Marcus guessed.

Agent Adams scoffed at the suggestion, laughing and placing his hands on his hips. "No, no, not at all. In fact I appreciate your initiative to use offense in favor of your own defense. I assure you, I am not your enemy."

He narrowed his eyes but he was listening. "Go on."

"I don't speak for the NSA, but for myself and a handful of agents that work under my command. We'd like to propose a potential alliance between us."

He laughed himself. "Why would I align with you? What could you possibly do for me?"

"Besides the vests you mean?"

He raised an eyebrow at him. "No, I haven't forgotten. And?"

"You will find those vests are very special. Useful against many special people."

"You mean mutants."

"I do."

"So you're developing technology to be used against mutants, and you think this is something I would approve of?"

"I do."

He tilted his head partway to the side. "Oh?"

Agent Adams let his arms hang at his sides and a small smile came over his face. "You've been making a name for yourself and your Reapers as supporters of a new world order. In this new world, you've made it quite clear that you don't discriminate between mutants and humans. You prefer mutants, but it's the loyalty and usefulness of any individual that you care about. Be exterminated or follow your lead, am I right?"

Marcus shifted, impatient. The police were idiots but they'd find them eventually. They weren't yet far enough away from the bank to be secure.

"Perhaps this could work, but you have to convince me."

"Oh, I believe I know just how to do that." He turned and called out to persons unseen. "You can come out now."

A rather young man, early 20's at most, dark-skinned and alert looking, came around from the other side of the vehicle they'd planned to use for their escape out of the city. A man and woman, appearing to be in their mid 20's and 30's respectively, followed just behind him. Standing side by side, the three regarded the five opposite of themselves. Marcus and his four regarded the three in turn.

"Meet Shiva, Surge, and Fenrir. Shiva's from Russia, capable of creating and controlling the water element. She's a hell of a powerful creature to witness. Beautiful, isn't she?"

The black haired woman, long hair streaming down her back, greeted them shortly. She spoke English clearly but the Russian accent remained thick and present. Marcus got the impression right away that this woman was cocky, confident, and had every reason to be. He couldn't wait to see what she could do.

Surge and Fenrir were introduced next. A man who could manipulate electricity and one who could shapeshift into various animal forms. The shapeshifter's preference was as a wolf, hence the codename he'd taken for himself. The NSA didn't do real names for the allies they didn't keep on paper. Also, probably because everything they were doing concerning Shield's group was not even close to legitimate.

"For me?" Marcus wondered, the beginnings of a smile growing on his face.

"Yes," Agent Adams informed him smugly. "They are. I believe this is going to be a splendid mutual exchange."

"What is it you want from me?"

"A blood sample from each of you would be much appreciated."

He hesitated, but only for a moment. Whatever was done with his blood, or any of their blood, it wouldn't matter once the world was under his control.

"I believe we have an accord. Long live the Reapers, who will live as kings among the remnants of the world's ashes. Mutants are the future."

Agent Adams only smiled.

Westchester County, New York

"Are you alright?"

Shaw grunted in response to Azazel's slight concern for his well-being. It was the only answer he was going to give. He would not be seen as weak, especially by his subordinates.

They each of them had done little more than wait around for several hours in an incredibly expansive guest bedroom. The mansion belonged to Xavier's family and had been turned into a school for mutants. A school the founder had ceased participating in of late. From everything he knew about the powerful telepath, Shaw could see he'd changed. Why they'd come here of all the possibilities was a curiosity.

Upon their arrival, the telepath had walked out, leaving Shaw to readjust to being alive and pushed ten years into the future, along with his companions who were clearly struggling to adjust to the return of their previous leader. Emma was tapping her fingers on the panes of one of the large windows, staring outside at the rain. She knew better than to dare enter Shaw's mind without permission, so he held no worry for it happening. Azazel and Riptide alternated from standing tall or sitting stiffly in the pair of armchairs available in the ridiculously large bedroom, while his newest recruit practically hid herself at the farthest corner of the room.

Could he really call any of them his followers any longer? A decade wasn't long for him, since he didn't age like most people, but for the average person, ten years was a lot of time to go by. The young brother and sister who'd taken him from the submarine and through an incredibly agonizing traverse through time into 1973, had told him some details of what he'd be arriving to. They told him how important Charles was to the future and that he could work with him to alter the world. They'd also told him how his followers had switched to following Erik of all people. The man was calling himself Magneto now, running a group called the Brotherhood. He was for mutants only, like Shaw was, but he knew Erik would never work under him. He'd killed the man's mother after all.

Finally he voiced what he thought about this entire situation. They'd always counted on him to be honest and forthcoming at the very least. He could do that.

"I don't trust the intentions of the time-travelers."

Emma immediately perked up from her spot at the window, turning around to face him and the rest of the restless occupants in the room.

"You shouldn't. That girl is powerful so I only got a few brief glimpses, but she comes from a future where mutants and humans are near extinct, and she wants to keep it that way."

"What about the telepath? Did you get a read on his behavior? Seems bizarre to me, though I guess I never really met the guy before."

"I don't think you've met him now." Angel shared.

His eyes swiveled to her and she practically folded in on herself in response to the attention. When he waited for her to explain herself, and she didn't, he looked away in annoyance. Emma seemed the only one worth conversation at the moment, as she filled the silence with more information for him to contemplate.

"I already told everyone else, in their minds before we came here, but we are not switching sides. I'm sorry Shaw, but Erik is a good leader. He has his faults, but he sticks by us and we need him."

He had a lot of thoughts to that but he let it go. He truly wondered about Erik. When last he'd seen the man before he'd so violently been thrust into the time he now was in, Erik had confessed he had Shaw to thank for who he'd become. The sole wedge between them apparently only being his mother's death. If that didn't scream the man had mental issues, he didn't know what did. Shaw tortured and experimented on little Erik Lehnsherr, and that didn't upset him? Hmph, it spoke of a conflicted mind without a doubt. It explained why he'd allied himself with a telepath who'd built a school for their kind. Erik wanted to change the future, he just hadn't made up his mind on how exactly it should be done.

Though he knew she was not reading his mind, she might as well have been from what she voiced next.

"And he needs Charles, the real Charles, even if he won't admit it to himself."

"The man that came with us here, he is not the real Charles Xavier?"

"That's complicated. If I could get into his head, maybe I could tell you. Right now though... I don't know enough." A pause, and then she added, "You seem different yourself."

He looked at her, warningly. "That's enough on the small talk. How many are in this house?"

Her eyes went distant for a few brief moments before returning to look at him. "Seven, all mutants, in various parts of the mansion. Charles is running. Looks like he went for a jog."

Potential new recruits was the initial thought that crossed his mind. When he felt nothing about that thought, he got a little angry. He'd always wanted a future with mutants in power, but even when he thought about it consciously, he couldn't bring himself to care. What the hell had those twins done to him? He'd never felt so unmotivated to be in charge and molding people and reality into what he desired. He wished they hadn't shown him what they had. Sometimes it was better not knowing.

Shaw chose to focus his thoughts elsewhere. "The telepath determined to change the world through brute force and considerable power of his own, went for a jog?"

"Might be to clear his head." Emma guessed. "Might have to do with his long inability to walk, let alone run, now gone. I don't dare try to pry into his mind. He wouldn't like that. He's been, unbalanced in how he behaves recently."

So the telepath had lost the ability to walk at some point, then got it back? That was interesting. He felt he needed personal time with this Charles Xavier.

"Emma, call the telepath here."

"Charles? Why?"

He gave her a look. She did as he asked and he said nothing to the other three, who were now appearing more alert and curious as to what was going on. If they knew what he was planning, Charles would surely read it off of at least one of them. Shaw could keep what he wanted private unless a telepath really dug in, so in most cases he'd require Emma, or the helmet Erik now wore. Emma could defend against most telepathy, but if he focused enough, Shaw suspected he'd get into at least one mind and the element of surprise would be lost. He needed defense and he needed surprise.

Charles took his time in coming, showering and changing back to his clothing from before. When he entered the bedroom, his hair was still damp, and he was clean-shaven, hair cut much shorter. It made him look younger, a lot actually, and harmless, too. His eyes were still as blue as ever though, searching the room until they found Emma.

He used the momentary distraction to approach Charles, and as soon as he turned to face him, he acted.

"Hi."

Charles's eyes widened as he realized his intent but it didn't save him. Surprise was a telepath's weak spot when it could be managed. He pushed his hand flat against the man's chest with minimal force. The energy that surged from his fingers was anything but minimal, however, and it sent the other flying across the room. His mutation allowed him to expend energy without much effort at all. If he absorbed enough outside energy, he could really do some real damage. The man should be grateful he didn't use any of that energy on him.

He walked quickly over to him, feeling the tendrils of invisible fingers working to wrap about his mind, and placed two fingers to the man on the ground's cheek. The force he used was intended only to snap Charles's head to the side like he'd been slapped, hard. A bruise already began to form. Then he wasted no time in doing the same touches to different spots of his chest and abdomen until the attempt at manipulating his mind dissipated. The pain was distracting him enough to not be able to use his ability, as he'd expected.

"Hey! Stop!"

He recognized the voice. It was Erik, come to find his dear friend who clearly wanted nothing to do with him. The indignant cry was abruptly followed by a more feminine one.

"Don't you touch him!"

Shaw resisted the urge to roll his eyes at their outbursts and waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the doorway where they stood. He could sense there were other mutants behind them in the hall. Perhaps the other mutants living in this house come to finally realize their master was home and unwell. Not the most observant of students apparently.

"I'm helping him."

A low chuckle emerged from the man under his hands on the ground. "Is that what you're doing?"

This time when he grabbed hold of Charles's shoulders, it was without utilizing his power. He lifted the man under the arms and dragged him toward the bed. Shaw froze when he felt the tickling on his brain as it forced him to stop moving. Enough work on his ability and he would be an unbeatable weapon.

An audible sigh from Erik and Shaw managed to watch him walking over to them from where he could move his eyes to look. As soon as he started to grab hold of Charles himself, and Charles realized he couldn't control him with the helmet on, Shaw found his frozen state released with a frustrated growl from the telepath as it happened. Together, he and Erik got Charles onto the bed.

"What are you doing?" he demanded of them.

Erik stared worriedly down at his friend and then looked to Shaw, who seemed to be the only one knowing what he was doing. Shaw filled in the questioning stares of a fair amount of mutants congregating in the room.

"I know a monster when it's been created. Different from one of its own making. I've certainly made enough of them myself." His gaze automatically shifted across the bed to Erik before looking back down at Charles. "So tell me, who are you?"

Charles lay on the bed, seeming quite comfortable and at ease. Considering the two powerful mutants staring down at him, it was not an expected reaction. In fact, he wasn't showing an ounce of fear, until Emma Frost approached the bed. When she approached, he started to squirm. When Shaw smiled at his obvious discomfort, he quickly let it slip off with Erik's intense glare at seeing such a thing.

Emma placed her hand on his forehead and dove into his mind. Much to Erik's clear objection, Shaw methodically applied pain to the telepath's chest and stomach to keep him from using his power against any of them. A few minutes later and the female telepath was backing off.

"When I said someone not from this time has changed you, I didn't mean the blonde twins on the outside."

"What are you talking about?" Charles demanded with much annoyance.

His eyes were following Shaw's fingers, which were no longer causing him pain but already had proven they could do so with ease. A snap of her fingers and his gaze shifted up to her.

"I mean someone's actually been inside your mind, altered memories and beliefs so you'd be more..malleable to their intentions."

He frowned. "Intentions to what precisely?"

"To form you into the ultimate weapon and loose you on the world."

"That.." Charles visibly deflated, looking even younger than he already did. "Sounds right."

"What?"

It was more than a few of them who said it, surprised he was agreeing with her assessment. Fortunately, he saw fit to explain.

"Sometimes I feel fine, like normal. Then sometimes I don't feel like me at all. I'm not me. I don't know..what this is."

"I do."

He sat up to better look at Emma, Erik and Shaw giving him some room so he could do it. "You do?"

"Someone with extremely talented telepathy has been in your mind and barely left a trace. Would you let me help you?"

"What can you do for me?"

"I can fix you. I can undo the damage. Unbury the good memories that were pushed down, erase any false memories that may have been implanted."

"How would you know which of his memories are false?" Erik inquired.

He didn't appear comfortable with what Emma was proposing. It was a valid question, one which Shaw found fascinating to hear the answer to. She explained there was a feeling, a signature almost, left in a person's mind when a telepath meddled. Most intriguing.

"If you do this, I won't do what I've been doing? I won't feel the urge to hurt other mutants anymore?"

"Yes."

"Raven?" He searched about the room until she came into sight, hurrying over to him and sitting up onto the bed and against his side. "Raven, will you stay with me?"

"Of course I will. I'm here, Charles."

Shaw took this little display of affection in and then spoke up. "I'm staying to ensure Charles behaves for Emma here. The rest of you, get out. There's no need of your watching this."

"I'm staying as well."

No surprise there that Erik would want to stay with his precious telepath.

"No, I don't want-"

"No. This isn't a discussion. I don't want you alone with Emma and Shaw."

Emma actually looked hurt about that. They had been on the same side for a long time after all so it made sense. The blonde girl, Raven, also appeared pretty annoyed, like she'd been forgotten.

"He's not alone." Raven reminded.

"I will stay." Erik said one more time and positioned himself more comfortably on the bed near the prone telepath's head.

Charles was trying to look at him, even as everyone began to file out of the room, but then Emma was diving back into his mind. Such an assault took up all of his concentration and Shaw watched, admittedly with morbid fascination, wishing he could see what she did.

It took nearly an entire day before she pulled back out of the telepath's mind, and when she did, she looked positively exhausted. Charles had fallen unconscious hours ago from the strain put on his mind, and Raven, hadn't let up on her tight hold of Charles's hand throughout it all.

"He's him. It's done. It wasn't easy. Who ever did it was at it for over a week, slipping thoughts and ideas in, pushing down any good thoughts he might have. I've never seen anything like it. The manipulation was near undetectable. Telepaths, they leave major tracks behind in a person's mind if they're not adept enough to conceal the invasion. Like I said before, if I didn't know any better, I'd say it was him who did it."

The words out, Emma rolled onto the other side of the bed and promptly fell asleep. She really did look worn and spent. Shaw watched her breathe softly in and out for a moment, before moving away from the bed. This drew Erik's attention from the telepath to him, though he didn't do well to hide that he would much rather be focused on Charles.

"So you're alive."

Shaw smiled at him smugly. "How do you feel about that?"

When Erik looked away, back down to Charles, he sighed. It seemed he wouldn't be getting a rise out of the other man today. Might as well give him something.

"I know you have little reason to believe me, but I am not the same."

Erik snorted. "You expect me to believe that at all?"

"My beliefs are the same, but I have seen what will come of them if I keep on the way I have always kept on."

"What does that mean?"

"It means he's seen the future where he wins and it isn't good."

Charles said this with his eyes still closed. He peeled them open, lids heavy with exhaustion as he tiredly looked upwards, eyes not really focusing on anything.

"Charles!" Raven squeezed his hand tighter.

He smiled weakly at her as she snuggled up to his side. "Hey trouble."

She returned his smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Like..like I can see again. It's like a veil's been lifted from my eyes."

Shaw found a chair and sat down, eyes taking in the affectionate scene before him. He didn't usually find himself in situations like these. He didn't normally find himself pushed through time either. This was an uncommon period in his life for certain.

"Tired." Charles shared.

"Rest."

It was Erik who ordered him to do that. The telepath wasted no time in listening. He closed his eyes and slept soundly. Raven soon joined him in sleep while Erik kept himself awake, watching over the sleeping pair, continuing to sit on the unconscious man's other side. Shaw contemplated trying to unnerve or upset the conscious man by staring at him. Instead, he decided on getting some rest himself. Traveling through time had not been pleasant in the slightest, and it had shaken him. He let his eyes slip closed, wondering what he'd been dragged into by the twins. Whatever happened, he stood by his own.


	7. Nightmares

Chapter Six

Nightmares

Westchester County, New York

Hank finally wandered out of his private laboratory about three in the morning. He hadn't been able to sleep. None of them had. He found his friends in a sitting room on the third floor, just below the fourth floor where the..visitors were residing. Charles was on that floor with them. It struck them all as odd that he was up there, surrounded by those technically designated as their enemies. It struck Hank as strange that they were allowing it.

He supposed Raven had a lot to do with that, or rather Mystique, as she'd been going by these years. He trusted she would never let harm come to her brother. Sean believed that, too. Now Alex, he didn't trust her so much anymore, and he certainly didn't trust Angel, who'd surprisingly opted to join them in their waiting to see if Charles could be fixed. Whether whatever was wrong with him was something that could be fixed, Hank prayed hourly about.

Aki had fallen asleep on one of the couches beside Sarah, who was drifting in and out of consciousness herself. Hank found Tom, Alex and Angel to be anything but sleepy. They were staring at each other on and off, he observed with much amusement from the doorway where he hesitated before entering. They all of them wore almost matching scrunched up faces of confusion and concern. He wondered what Angel could be so worried about. She didn't care about Charles, right?

He acquired himself a seat by the doorway and regarded his sole conscious friend in the room.

"Any news about the professor?"

Tom let out a tired sigh, rubbing his eyes and glancing over a final time at Angel before responding.

"The wind-maker came down a couple hours ago with that intimidating as hell devil looking guy. Said their telepath went in his mind and found signs someone had been messing with him, altering his thoughts and feelings. She corrected the professor's mind. Thinks she did anyway. She'd better have."

"What? How? How could someone get into the professor's mind and he not realize it? Of all people!"

Tom shrugged, but though the act was a careless one, the shine to his eyes told Hank he cared very deeply for Charles. He was concerned because if Professor Xavier could be gotten to, any one of them could easily fall victim next. It was a valid concern, one Hank shared in.

None of them had any answers, only more questions.

"Where did they go?"

"Who?"

"Magneto's-or-Shaw's people-or, ugh, I don't know. Azazel and Riptide, the two you said were here before, where did they get off to?"

Another shrug. Oh sheesh, Tom needed to snap out of his depression and worry over the professor in order to be a tad more productive. It was a tough situation, with the professor acting so out of character of late, so he could give some leeway tonight he supposed. He didn't really want to though. Oh, thank God, his good friend did have some kind of answer after all.

"They went back upstairs. I told them about the spare bedroom next to the one the professor and the others are in that they could use to get some sleep."

"So now we're housing the enemy." Alex muttered. "What's next?"

Hank wasn't certain he wanted to know the answer to that. He hadn't the foggiest idea of what was going to happen next.

Magneto sat across from Charles, pushing a piece forward, certain of his impending victory over his opponent. Leaning back in his chair, he struggled to adjust the cape so it felt a little more comfortable in his seated position. He never seemed to find a satisfactory level of comfort when in his old friend's presence. Glancing down at the board and then further, at himself, he noticed he was wearing his armor, too. That was odd. He didn't ever feel the need to wear chest armor with Charles.

"You knew to find me here. You were right. The school did still matter to me, even with my mind so changed."

"How are you, Charles?"

He sighed, moving one of his own chess pieces across the board and didn't respond. That was most unusual. Charles loved to hear himself talk. Instead, he looked distracted, closing his eyes and running his hands through his hair like he was struggling with its presence.

Magneto found himself most displeased when his friend changed the subject.

"We're human, too, you know. We're humans with mutations. Still, very much human."

"Have it your way," he replied with a roll of his eyes. "We're humans, too, and humans, are prone to violence. I seek to prevent their violence against us, for when mankind fully learns of our existence, they will hate us, fear us, discriminate against us."

He was looking back at Charles, who had yet to open his eyes. Charles was all about the eye contact. Where was it now? Perhaps it was the helmet. He knew he hated the helmet, probably because it defined him as his new self, as Magneto, leader of the Brotherhood of mutants. Still, Charles wasn't the type to pass up an opportunity to try and counsel him or change his mind. Maybe he'd given up on him.

"So you choose to divide, in your attempt to conquer the human race?"

Magneto smiled. "It's said divide and conquer often leads to victory."

"Yes, but, many of the big nations who won through conquest also lost their reign after what is to be considered a short span of time for any reign. The victories won by unifying and maintaining, however, have lasted for much, much longer."

The smile dropped from his face. Charles always had a reply to everything. Narrowing his eyes slightly in his growing frustration, he forgot about the game and stared hard at the other until his eyes opened to meet his.

"Why are you so willing to fight for the humans?"

He didn't think he was going to get an answer, not when he glanced to his right and found Emma and Shaw standing together over by the window. They were facing away from the window, watching the two of them. Had they been there the entire time? It seemed somehow improbable he wouldn't have noticed them earlier. His attention returned to Charles when he answered regardless of their audience.

"Because I'm a part of this world!"

Erik swung his head toward the doorway, then his audience, and back at Charles. He was surprised at the sudden raise in volume. He didn't sound angry though, just frustrated. Erik could relate. Charles sounded stressed, too. Strange. He was very skilled at remaining calm and composed. What was this all about?

"And so are you." Charles continued, voice softening. "Why don't you stand for them? You come from them. They don't deserve your disdain."

He frowned. He didn't know what to say to that. It felt like he had the same discussion with Charles over and over. Ten years later and they were still where they were in 1962 on that beach. He'd hoped things would have progressed by now.

"You think that because you have power you have the right to rule, to make decisions that could harm people. But that's exactly what tyrants think. You know what it's like to live under the rule of a tyrant. You would be as they were? Do as they did?"

Slowly he shook his head. "No, I'd be better."

"What was that you quoted to me not so long ago, about best intentions?"

Any response Magneto had been preparing was halted at that. His mouth snapped closed again. Hm..okay so that was a solid point. But he was still right. He had to be. Charles just didn't understand why he needed to keep fighting. He needed to make sure mutants everywhere were safe and held a place in the world worthy of them.

Charles was on a roll in sharing his wisdom.

"You let your rage get the better of you all the time. You can control metal and magnetic fields. Don't you understand how dangerous that can be?"

"Of course. It's my strength. I-"

Erik stopped talking when Charles started gripping the table, as though suddenly finding it difficult to sit there in his seat. He managed to say something despite his sudden and obvious discomfort.

"I'm a telepath who can control minds. Can you imagine what would happen if I lost control?"

"Charles, are you all right?"

Magneto sensed movement over by the window. Emma was sliding to a seated position, head in her hands. What was that all about? He noted Shaw was looking down at her, but he made no movement to help her. There was probably nothing he could do anyway. His frown was for Shaw now. The man seemed shaken up and uncomfortable all the time since he'd been pulled from the moment just before death, just before revenge could be exacted. It was a peculiar thing, to remember killing the man, but also remember being about to kill him when he disappeared. Both could not have happened in the past, yet he remembered both scenarios. That was improbable, impossible really. He was beginning to feel very strongly time should never be meddled with at all. He thought about killing Shaw again.

Charles groaned and closed his eyes briefly, drawing Erik's attention back to him. It made him think about his relationship with this man, what could have been and what wasn't any more. It made him think about the stark reality. The helmet weighed heavier than usual on his head. The frustration grew inside, like an angry curling twist inside of his stomach.

"You've been in my mind. You see into most any mind you meet. But you, you stay hidden. I don't know anything about you!"

Well damn, so much for him remaining calm. He was impressed. One moment he'd been considering murder, and now he had Charles on the mind once again. Charles was a wonder.

"You know a lot."

And he was also a total idiot.

"But not everything, right?"

"Well, I suspect here will be your chance. I've been in your mind, and now you've been in mine."

Magneto didn't understand what that meant. He avoided looking at Charles's eyes, opting instead to glance toward the window as he responded with questions and an observation.

"Are you fixed? Do you no longer hate mutants? You seem back to your usual self."

"I think I'm fixed. I feel right, but, I don't know. This past week has been very confusing for me. It's good I'm finally sleeping. I'll be able to think straight."

He startled in his seat, catching the wording. "Sleeping? You're sleeping? But if you're sleeping..."

"So are you, yes. So are they."

Emma seemed to find this the perfect time to enter into the conversation. "I suspected as much. I tried to wake myself up but couldn't. You've brought us into your dream."

Charles nodded. "He wouldn't let me wake. The only perceivable manner in keeping everyone safe was to bring them in, including him." He frowned at Erik and the helmet resting on his head. "You're not real. You can't be here. Not with that helmet on."

It was Erik's turn to frown because he certainly felt present. He wasn't sure what that was saying though, since he hadn't the slightest idea this was a dream. It had felt so real. Now that he realized it wasn't real, some of the oddities made sense. Like how he got here, sitting across from Charles playing chess. He couldn't remember how he got there. Charles had been asleep. He'd sat at Charles's side watching him sleep.

"But I'm here." Erik pointed out. "Somehow your power worked on me anyway."

The other man disagreed. "You overestimate my ability. I can't do that. He must have."

"Who?"

"The intruder."

"What intruder?"

When his question went unanswered, he asked again.

"Charles? What intruder?"

"I pulled him into my dream, along with everyone in the house, when I felt him enter the property. Somehow, he must have managed to bring you in, too. That's probably not a good thing. I brought everyone into my head to protect them, but if he went to the trouble of bypassing your helmet to get you in along with the rest of us, he must think he can kill us here."

"How could he do that?"

"That I'm not certain about."

"Impressive. I knew you were powerful."

Magneto glanced at Shaw. It was the first time he'd heard him sound like the Shaw he knew far too well, the Shaw he very much would like to see dead. It would alienate Charles from him even further if he killed the man though. That would be a problem.

Charles's face was all scrunched up again, and his behavior suddenly made sense. He was concentrating, utilizing his power to keep them asleep, and perhaps, to track this aforementioned intruder. He stood abruptly when Charles did.

"Charles? What is it?"

A crack of lightning and a rumble of thunder sounded throughout the room. Rain began to pour down in sheets against the large windows. Charles paled and that was saying something since the man was already considerably light in skin tone.

"Charles?"

Deep blue eyes met his own gaze. "Find the others. He's stronger than me. I'm trying to hold him. Go."

"Charles."

"Hurry!"

He blinked when Charles disappeared from the spot he'd been standing in. He looked over at Emma and Shaw, his apparent allies for the time being. He trusted Emma enough; they'd built a rapport over the years. As for Shaw, well he could go-

"Dreams are a funny thing." Emma shared. "Hard to predict what might happen. Even though this is Charles's dream, he can't control what he'll dream about."

"Right. Well let's find the others."

Emma smiled, far too smug and content for their present situation, actually leaning on Shaw like the old days. "Yes, let's."

When Azazel and Riptide entered the room to join the rest of them in their sitting and waiting for whatever was to happen next, it woke Sarah, who sat herself up. She stared bleary eyed at them for a moment, but they merely regarded her briefly before joining their friend still sitting at the back of the room. Sean and Alex straightened in their seats and noticeably tensed. She knew it was because they'd seen the pair of them in action and therefore must know how dangerous they could be.

Her curiosity got the better of her and she peeked over her shoulder in their direction. When she turned back to face forward, she found Tom watching her. She gave him a tight smile and tilted her head towards the three labeled as her enemies, though she'd never been in any direct conflict with them. She only knew they worked for Magneto's cause and used to work for Shaw. Sebastian Shaw, a man saved from death to be used against them. That plan hadn't worked out so well for the young brother and sister who insisted on causing so much trouble for mutants. Wait... How did she know that? She didn't remember being told any of that, yet she knew it to be true.

She blinked. There was a blonde haired girl asleep on the couch opposite her. Had she been there the whole time? She couldn't have been. Wait..she recognized her from pictures. This was the professor's sister. A rustling noise came from the cushion beside her and she found Aki's big brown eyes staring upwards.

"Nan desu ka?"

She shook her head and shrugged, bidding him good morning. "Ohayou gozaimasu."

He sat up and gave her a confused look. "Konbanwa."

What did he mean good evening? She glanced out the window and saw it was indeed dark outside, rain pounding the window. How did she miss that? There was thunder and lightning, too. Loud. That had to have just started.

"Sumimasen. Genki desu ka?"

Aki ignored her question as to how he was, instead choosing to stand and look around the room.

"Mayotte shimaimashita."

"What are you talking about, Aki? You're not lost."

Their conversation had peaked everyone's interest, including the three guests to their home. They remained over at the far side of the room, but they were visibly listening.

"Hai. Watashi wa shimaimashita."

"What's he saying?" the one known as Riptide asked.

She climbed to her feet herself. "I don't know. He's saying he's lost. I don't understand."

"Wakarimasen."

He shook his head at her again. Then gestured around at the room in general.

"All. Lost."

Sarah understood a little bit more. "He's saying we're all lost."

The only one left sleeping awoke with a start, eyes wide and frantic. Sarah could swear she saw her skin shimmer from blue back to normal for a second or two. Charles's sister, Raven was the name she recalled, ran over to the window. After peering out into the darkness and the raging storm, she turned to survey the occupants of the room. Passing over her three allies in the corner, she scanned over Sarah, Aki, and finally Alex, Tom, Sean, and Hank. She settled on the sometimes furry blue one of their bunch. The only genius level one of them, too.

"Where's Charles?"

When no one answered her, not even Hank, she persisted. "Where's my brother? Where is he?"

"Sleeping upstairs I think." Hank replied, attempting to sooth her. "He's recovering from the manipulation done to his mind."

"Charles doesn't like thunderstorms."

"Wait, weren't you with him?" Tom questioned.

Sarah crossed her arms over her stomach. "You were. That's right. I knew you hadn't been here before. How'd you get here?"

Raven frowned and crossed her own arms uncomfortably in front of herself. "I..don't remember. I was sleeping next to Charles, then I woke up here."

She let her arms drop to her side and stared out the window at the storm. Sarah wasn't quite sure if she had been forgotten or not. Raven seemed rather distracted.

"He hates thunderstorms. I should find him."

"Why?"

Raven visibly jumped at the sudden introduction of a new voice to the room. Sarah recognized the man standing in the doorway as Magneto. She also knew his name was Erik Lehnsherr, because Charles refused to call him by any other name when it could be done. Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost were with him. That was weird.

"How do I know all of your names?"

She'd wondered out loud. She didn't know what was going on. Sarah wanted to know. As a person who sometimes had premonitions, she usually knew what was going on before it happened. Lately her ability had been less than regular, but right now, it felt completely absent. It was like a part of her was missing. She didn't like the feeling. She just wanted to know something.

"Am I the only one who inexplicably knows things about what's been going on lately that I was never directly told?"

"No, even if everyone has not realized yet, we're all like that because we're in a dream, sweetie."

Sarah looked at Emma. "What does that mean?"

"There's an intruder on the grounds. Charles pulled us into his dream in an attempt to protect us. Either it'll work or it'll get us all killed because we're not awake to defend ourselves."

Well that was a crude explanation to be told to them when they were being informed of a potentially dire situation. While everyone in the room took this new information in, Erik or Magneto, didn't seem to care. He was still eying Raven. Waiting for his answer perhaps?

"Mystique, why is Charles afraid of thunderstorms?"

She stared back at her leader and told him what she knew he wouldn't want to hear. "I can't tell you."

"Mystique." Her name was spoken firmly. He definitely wanted an answer.

Raven was shaking her head back and forth rapidly. "No."

He gave her a look and she stared just as stubbornly in return, raising her voice to him. "He wouldn't want you to know!"

Magneto looked pissed but Sarah was impressed at how much the young woman stuck by her brother. Intriguing when this was the same girl who'd sided with a violent man in the hopes of seeing mutants accepted in the world. What the... It was like her own thoughts and someone else's thoughts and knowledge were intermixing in her head. Charles's thoughts maybe.

Sarah decided this was getting nowhere. "Should we try to find Charles?"

"Watashi to issho ni kite kudesai." Aki said, heading for the door, apparently not at all intimidated by the presence of Magneto standing in his way.

Gutsy kid. Should probably reprimand him for such thinking later. When they were..actually awake. That sounded so odd. She was walking and talking and moving around, in someone else's dream! Bizarre seemed too simplistic of a word for what was happening right now.

"He wants us to go with him," she translated to the others.

She followed after her very good friend without hesitation. Whether or not the others did the same was of no concern of hers. She trusted him. Just barely, she managed to hear multiple sets of footsteps behind her in the nearly pitch black hallway. At least some of them had chosen to follow, maybe everyone. Again, it wasn't her concern. She had settled on keeping Aki's back in sight so she wouldn't lose him.

It wasn't long before she saw a light up ahead. The light lit upon Aki's face when he stood in it, stopping long enough to glance back to wait for her to reach him. When she did, he pointed, for her, for the others, into the bright room.

Walking past him, she was the first to enter the room, Magneto beside her in the next moment. The rest were not far behind. She'd expected to find Charles there. Instead, a little boy sat on an armchair in the room. He couldn't have been older than five or six. Neatly cut and combed brown hair, big blue eyes, and a suit that looked simply adorable on a child so young and small.

The boy sat properly in the chair far too big for him, legs dangling over the edge of the seat, hands clasped together in his lap. He was humming quietly to himself. He was until his eyes lifted and noticed her, noticed all of the others. Immediately he stilled and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he looked in their direction again.

"Did you know my daddy?"

Sarah cleared her throat and stepped forward when the boy's eyes sought her out, waiting expectantly for a reply. She'd become the spokesperson for everybody apparently.

"No. I'm sorry. Who's your father?"

"Brian Xavier. People have been visiting my mommy all month. She says they're my daddy's friends. Some of them are. Some of them..."

"Xavier?" Sarah knew those bright eyes immediately now. "Are you Charles Xavier?"


	8. Awakening

Author's Note: Massive warnings for this chapter. It has very disturbing content so please be aware. There is major non-con and violence, though not graphic, it is clear and may evoke discomfort. Please keep this in mind. Also, no ownership of the song used here. Existed way before I existed. =)

Chapter Seven

Awakening

Westchester County, New York...

"Xavier?" Sarah knew those bright eyes immediately now. "Are you Charles Xavier?"

His eyes grew large and round. "You know me?"

Sarah heard Magneto's sharp intake of breath next to her at this revelation. Once again she had to remind herself, this was a dream, this was Charles's dream. In this moment she suspected they'd stumbled onto a memory kept inside his head. Never had she believed she would come to know her professor on such an intimate level. He was a very private person. Most of the time, he kept to himself. She felt like she was invading his privacy, even though she knew it was none of their doing to be in Professor Xavier's mind like this.

"Um..uh.. I do." She realized it must sound peculiar for a grown-up to say they knew him without some kind of explanation. "I know you because I know your mother."

"Oh, okay." His small hands shifted to rest on his knees.

He looked ridiculously cute in that tailored suit and tie he wore. Hesitation was evident before the small version of Charles risked a question to her.

"Do you know where my mommy is?"

She answered honest. "No."

When his face fell, she quickly added to it. "I think she's just downstairs in the kitchen making food."

The boy's head was shaking fervently. "I don't think so. She's probably sleeping. She sleeps a lot now. Gertrude says mommy drinks too much and it makes her sleep. Sometimes I get sleepy when I drink warm milk before bed. Is it like that?"

She winced. Well, that was something she definitely wasn't going to answer honestly.

"Maybe, Charles. It could be. Who is Gertrude?"

"The housemaid. She's my friend." He answered easily before asking another question of her. "Did any of you know my daddy?"

Sarah glanced at Magneto next to her, hoping he'd be willing to say something. The man looked at a loss for words. No one else appeared to be wanting to say anything either. They were satisfied with how she was doing apparently. How unhelpful.

"No, Charles. Is your daddy a nice man?"

She didn't know why she asked that. It was the only thing she could think to say. She thought she'd made a mistake with her choice in question, because he looked sad, gaze falling to his lap.

"He was a good man, but daddy went away."

"Oh. I'm sure he'll be home soon."

A throat cleared, loudly, to garner her attention, and she saw the demon looking mutant, Azazel, looking toward her intently. When she did nothing but stare, he started to move forward, past the others gathered in the brightly lit room. She became distracted from the movement when the little boy was talking again, his voice thick with confusion.

"He will? Mommy says he's gone away for good. There was an accident. She says he's not coming home. Do you think he will come home?"

Sarah understood her mistake when Azazel cautiously approached the boy and knelt down in front of the chair. "Little Charles, your father is gone. He will not come back. But you will be loved."

How could she not realize what memory this was? This was the professor's memory of losing his father, a not so pleasant memory to be sure. It explained his mention of his mother drinking herself unconscious, of visitors to the house. This was a time of confusion, loneliness, and loss for him.

The small boy seemed to see the shockingly unique appearance of Azazel for the first time. Tentatively, a hand reached out towards the tail swinging back and forth. He retracted it before he could touch it and turned to look at his sleeve shyly. A child who respected boundaries and didn't say a word about someone's strange look. Professor Xavier was astonishingly polite even at such a young age. He was pretty damn smart and intuitive for such a small boy, too. She was in awe of just the kind of good person the professor truly was.

Azazel smiled and his tail moved alongside the chair, near Charles's legs. "Go on, little one. You may touch if you wish."

A soft smile appeared on the child's face. Delicate fingers risked reaching out again, this time until they found purchase on the lengthy red tail hovering in the air. Fascination filled every part that had spoken of grief mere moments earlier.

"Wow. I wish I had a tail." His bright eyes searched over the rest of the man before him. "How did you get your skin like that?"

"I was born like this."

"Wow. Lucky."

Sarah remembered their present situation. "Charles?"

He made a noise that he'd heard her but didn't turn his eyes from the tail in his grasp.

"Charles? Do you think you could help us find someone?"

Emma spoke up then, before the little version of Charles could.

"You're speaking to a memory, nothing more."

Azazel ignored Emma, holding out his hand toward the hand Charles had kept in his lap.

"Come with me, little one. We're going to play a game."

The boy looked delighted at that. "Really?"

A nod from the man knelt before him. It made little Charles ecstatic. Sarah felt a small pang in her stomach from knowing this was not true, Charles had only grief to accompany him in the real past, but also knowing her friend had lost his dad so young. She found herself turning away from the sight of the younger version of the man who'd given her a new home. Her parents weren't the greatest people in existence for her, but they were alive and they loved her. Life just couldn't be fair sometimes.

"Will you be my friend?"

She turned back when she heard the question, watching the sight of a child who had no business being dressed in expensive suits, eager to make a new friend. He was standing beside Azazel now, hand firmly clasped in the other's much larger hand. She fought against the urge to smile at the sight of them, both wearing fancy suits.

"Yes, little Charles, I will be your friend."

"You are not alone, Charles."

Sarah jerked her head to look at Magneto in surprise. It was the first time he'd spoken since encountering this child-sized form of Charles Xavier. She wondered about what he was thinking. Turning back to the boy, she saw he was just as surprised at the words.

"Not alone."

"That's right. You're not alone."

His eyes looked like they were going to burst out of his head at the words. His eyes began to dart around frantically for reasons Sarah didn't understand. He looked down at himself, back up at Magneto, and then around at everyone else.

"Run!"

"Charles?" asked Sarah.

"He's coming!"

"Charles!" Magneto exclaimed, and she understood now this was their Charles come to warn them.

The room they were in darkened and Sarah watched Azazel staring at his hand. She realized the small version of Charles had vanished. The deafening rumble of thunder boomed just outside, and lightning flashed which temporarily lit up the room for them to see.

A scream, the sound of glass breaking elsewhere in the house. Shouting that was growing louder and louder, not to be drowned out by the increasingly loud noise of the thunderstorm. That was something that could not happen if this were really happening. A dream, Charles's dream, and they had to find him.

"Charles!" Raven cried out, and she took off running from the room, much to everyone's surprise.

Sarah was certain they'd run down two flights of stairs after Raven, but when they next came to a stop behind the blonde haired woman, it was to find themselves looking up at another staircase. She took another look at the house she was standing in and saw it wasn't actually the house she'd been living in the last few years. She wasn't the only one to notice. Raven had gone pale and their eyes met by coincidence.

"This is the Xavier manor in England. We would go there in summers, some holidays." Raven shared. Then a shocked look overtook her worried expression. "Charles!"

They were all surprised to find the little five or six-year-old Charles was back, clutching to Azazel's leg, his clothing more casual this time.

"Don't go up there."

Raven's initial surprise and happiness to see the small boy again changed to concern. "Charles?"

"Mother's been drinking again. She gets mad sometimes when she drinks."

"Charles-" Tom began to try but he stopped when the boy kept on with his own talking.

"I don't want to be here. I don't like it here."

"Charles, I'm sorry." Raven told him, looking close to tears.

What was that all about? The others seemed to be wondering like she did, especially Magneto she noted.

The small version didn't seem to hear her. She supposed he didn't know her yet. This wasn't the professor come to warn them again. This was the memory of the little boy. She took a closer look at him. This boy was actually slightly taller, cheeks not so chubby looking. He was an older Charles by a few years at least. She'd failed to notice in the minimal light of the place.

Those damned big blue eyes were peering up the stairs. Sarah was in awe of how someone could bear such compassion and wonder and pureness in their eyes. She knew there had always been a reason she'd chosen to have a life under the guidance of the professor. Now she was learning things about the man she'd never thought she'd know.

"I don't want to be here," the young Charles repeated. He looked about himself and locked eyes with Raven, who he'd possibly deemed as trustworthy. "He doesn't even like my mom. He likes her money."

"It won't always be like this, Charles. You're going to be free of them one day."

Sarah knew she wasn't alone in her questioning of what was between them. What did they know that the rest of them didn't? Was it wrong of her to want to know?

Charles was lifting his chin to peer upwards at Azazel, one he apparently remembered to be his new friend. She couldn't even begin to fathom how that was possible. Because it was within the same night of dreaming? The one potentially remembered, brought a hand down to rest atop the neat head of brown hair, tail curling about the tiny body.

"I hate it here."

"Why, little one?"

Hm, so simply because he was a few years older, the nickname had not been shed. Made sense. She could tell Charles had always been a small boy.

"Because of the man."

"What man?"

"He was my father's friend from work. Now he's with my mom. They got married. Mother says he's my step-father. I have a step-brother now, too." The young Charles looked up at Azazel with fearful and yet knowing eyes. "My step-father... He's a bad man."

Charles had practically whispered the last phrase out to them, though loudly. This time when he disappeared, he faded right before her eyes. It was startling. This dream world felt so off, so wrong, and still felt incredibly real at times.

When Raven took off running up the flight of stairs, Sarah did what everyone else did. She followed. While they rapidly walked after a wandering Raven, who was searching for signs of where to find her brother, whatever age he might be found in, Emma spoke up to the rest of them.

"I can feel the intruder. I can feel his touch, his influence. He's causing this dream to turn dark. He's the one molding the dream into a nightmare."

"It's why we keep seeing his childhood." Sarah heard Tom say. "We're seeing parts of his life that haunt him. I never knew the professor had a less than stellar childhood."

Sarah hadn't known either. Judging by the looks all around, no one really had.

"We need Charles to wake up and wake us up with him. If he can't, if he continues to be disoriented by the intruder, that intruder will escape and we'll be completely defenseless. He can murder us in our sleep and we won't even know it's happening until we're already dead. Mystique, can you tell us anything that might help? Mystique?"

"Oh!"

They came to a sudden stop when Raven did, stopping and then darting into a doorway on her left. They followed and froze. Not exactly by choice. There was a wall, mostly invisible save for the rippling of the power behind it every now and again, between them standing just inside the door, and the memory playing out in the bedroom they'd arrived at.

A few of them threw questioning looks Emma's way, assuming she might know what this was, being the only telepath they had at the moment. She did know. Someone else had figured it out, too.

"That intruder is skillful. He didn't like us interacting with the memories so he's put a stop to it by bringing up a wall between us and them." Sebastian Shaw inputted.

"I suppose by interacting we were able to reach the real Charles and he didn't like that much." Emma agreed.

"Well what can we do?" Magneto demanded, sounding irritated and anxious.

Emma didn't get a chance to answer just then, however, because they found themselves looking at a boy and a girl on the other side of the transparent wall. Charles was maybe twelve, still having a small frame of a body, but his cheekbones were more pronounced, his eyes a bit more defined by age, or perhaps hardship? The girl with him looked a few years younger, with blonde hair, and it took just that to allow Sarah to realize this was a younger version of Raven.

"Charles, I don't want to. Not again. I don't want to. I can't."

"Come along. Come, Raven."

Their eyes met for the briefest of moments, and then he was maneuvering her to a second door in the room. It was a closet door. He opened it and sat her down just inside. From their angle they could get a pretty good view of the interior. Kneeling before her, the Charles about twelve or so, took both of her hands into his own. Then he began to sing to her, voice even and sure.

"When a star is born, they possess a gift or two. One of them is this, they have the power to make a wish come true," he paused. "Come on. Sing with me."

She did then, softly raising her voice to sing, the young Charles singing with her. "When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires will come to you."

"You worthless piece of shit! Can't you do anything, right? Why can't you be like his son? Why can't you be smart like Charles?"

Audible yelling from down the hallway, drawing nearer. Sarah and a few of the others looked about but they saw nothing. Even still, the shouts continued.

"Dad!"

"I don't want to hear from you!"

The young Raven broke off in her singing but Charles quickly brought her back to it and they continued to sing together.

"If your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme. When you wish upon a star, as dreamers do, fate is kind."

Sarah and Aki flinched when two figures appeared directly in front of them, but on the other side of the telepathic wall between them. One was a man, possibly 35 or so, the other a boy of about 15. That was if she was estimating correctly on the ages. She was only guessing. Were they the professor's step-father and step-brother?

The two were still arguing. Actually, it was less arguing and more a father yelling the most horrible things at his own flesh and blood. The poor kid just stood there, taking the abuse. Sarah felt so awful watching such a display. Her pity for the kid wasn't to last.

Charles was leaving the closet, closing the door behind him where Raven continued to sit and sing softly to herself. He stood and faced the only other two he was aware of in the room, the only other two that were actually there in this time, this moment long past.

"You leave him alone."

At first his request went ignored, father continuing to berate his son. Then he backhanded his son across the cheek and Charles had had enough.

"Leave him alone, Kurt!"

The man jerked his attention over to him. "You shut your mouth. Cain is the useless one here. You at least will amount to something. My son never will."

"You have no right to hit him. Go away."

The step-father stooped down to do just the opposite, hand fisting in his fallen son's collar, other hand raising up to hit him a second time.

"I said leave him! You're the pathetic piece of shit, Kurt!"

"It's dad to you!"

"You're the useless one!" the young Charles persisted. "I know the darkness that lies in your heart. You don't love my mother. You don't love anyone."

"Shut up!" Kurt screamed.

"All you do is hate. You're a disease!"

His step-father shoved Cain back to the floor and proceeded toward Charles. "Fine. You want to do this again? This time do you think I'll be able to knock some sense into that genius level head of yours?"

"Abusive bastard! My mother-"

"Your mother, is a drunk. Your mother's never going to notice a thing."

The first blow dropped Charles to his knees. The second, tossed him onto the floor. Lifting his head up to glare at his attacker, Charles spat out blood before asking something.

"Do you feel like a man now?"

His step-father hit him, and hit him, and hit him. A part of her was angry Charles didn't fight back. A part of her understood that he couldn't even if he wanted to. Sarah didn't think it was ever going to stop. When it finally did, it was because Kurt seemed bored with the beating. He stalked out of the room, both of his fists bloody, and didn't look back. When he walked out, that was when her eyes fell upon Cain again, and her sympathy for the young man hated by his father died.

Cain was smirking. The teenager was actually smirking at the sight of his step-brother bloodied and beaten on the floor. Then he advanced and she wanted to scream, bouncing back against the wall as if to do something. There was no getting past the raised wall and there was no stopping anything happening anyway. It was a memory. It was an event that had already happened and she couldn't do anything to stop it and it was killing her.

"You might have the brains, and the money, and even the looks. Tonight, Xavier, none of that means nothing."

"Cain, you have a choice."

The teenager rolled his eyes and lashed out a foot, kicking Charles flat onto his back.

"You say that every time. Don't you get tired of saying the same thing over and over, never making a difference?"

"Even if I can't always succeed at making the world a better place, someone has to try."

Another sharp intake of breath was the only indication Magneto had been affected by Charles's words. Wisdom spoken even at such a young age. Words she suspected had hit home to the Brotherhood leader because he had heard them before.

"You should just let me have your sister. Then we wouldn't have to keep doing this."

"Your cruelty will be endured by me, Cain. You-will not-touch her."

She let out a scream before she could stop it from coming out. Cain had thrown a few more kicks in and then begun tearing at Charles's clothes. When the sounds of sexual assault had begun, that was when she'd screamed. She threw a hand over her mouth. This was nothing they could have prevented.

Sarah heard a whimper. She spun to stare behind her at the retreating form of Magneto. He'd backed himself against the wall and slid down to the floor, staring numbly at the memory playing out that they couldn't stop. She knew he was probably thinking very much along the same lines as she was. They'd believed Charles privileged and safe in his childhood. They'd been so horribly wrong.

When Cain finished, he adjusted his clothing, slapped Charles across the face, and walked out. He walked out like Charles was nothing and it made Sarah sick to her stomach. Her dear professor once mistreated so badly.

The teenager barely had left when Raven shoved her way out of the closet. Immediately she went to the bed and tugged free a sheet. She settled the sheet over Charles and lifted him up enough so that his head and shoulders rested in her lap. Her face hit the light just right that Sarah could see fresh tears running down her face over old tear tracks. It was likely she'd been crying the entire duration of the assault on her brother.

Arms wrapped around him, she stroked his hair away from his face. She stayed with him, ignoring the blood and the tears on the both of them, and just laid together. By how motionless Charles was, it was possible he was unconscious. Choking back a sob, Raven began to sing quietly to him.

"When you wish upon a star. Makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires will come to you."

To wish upon a star and have your heart's desire come true. She would give anything to have an ability to make wishes come true. These two children had needed a wish made true, and no one had helped them. Righteous anger flooded through her and she whipped around and hit the wall. At least, she would have hit a wall, had Charles Xavier, her Professor Xavier, not been standing there.

She retracted her fist like it was burning. "Professor! Oh, Professor Xavier, I'm so sorry!"

Sarah stepped away when Magneto immediately got in her way and snagged Charles up by his shirt.

"You idiot! You let me think you'd lived some privileged existence. Why didn't you tell me about your past?"

"Oh, my friend, your own past was burden enough."

"I want honesty."

"What do you mean?"

"Is there anything else you've kept hidden from me?"

"Erik..."

"I need you to be honest. Anything else? You know all of me. I should be granted the same, don't you think?"

The professor didn't tear his eyes from Magneto's, and Sarah was admittedly impressed. Magneto was intimidating. Professor Xavier wasn't even the least bit affected. Charles maintained eye contact and shared, despite his rather sizable audience.

"The thunderstorm in this nightmare, is because my mother broke a bottle over my head when I was fourteen, the night of a huge storm. I nearly died. She was an alcoholic, a drunk. I never wanted to admit it because when she was sober, she was the sweetest, kindest person you could ever meet. But I saw it in her head. My father's death destroyed her. She didn't want to live without him, didn't want to see me because I was a reminder of him."

"I never knew about your childhood, Charles. I never knew you suffered so much."

Sarah was astonished when the professor laughed it off. "I'm certain your suffering was much more severe in the camps, and a life alone after. I had Raven, at least. I did have her, I mean."

"You still do, Charles." Raven swore, looking at him like she wanted to hold him just as her younger self had been doing.

A glance in that direction informed Sarah that the memory had dissipated, leaving an empty room in its place.

"Alright. The time for confessions is over. We need to wake up." Emma prompted.

The professor wasn't looking at her though. He was still staring at Magneto.

"There is one more thing you must know, then you will know everything."

Raven practically yelled out her next words. "No. No, Charles. You don't have to relive that."

He paid her no mind and Sarah listened for whatever the man she respected above all else was going to tell Magneto, tell them.

"There was a fire..." the professor began, and the room around them spun into a blur of darkness.


	9. Own Worst Enemy

Chapter Eight

Own Worst Enemy

Westchester County, New York...

"There was a fire..."

Raven listened to her brother barely get the words out before her surroundings eroded around her. She soon found herself standing in a brightly lit sitting room instead of the rather sparsely lit bedroom from her own nightmares. They remained in the Xavier summerhouse, in a room with a burning fireplace and two young teenage boys sitting across from one another in separate chairs. One was Charles, and the other was the one she'd forever refused to call her brother. Cain was evil, just as bad as Kurt, if not worse.

No wait, she remembered this night. How could she forget? Glancing in her leader's direction and then Azazel's, both noticing her attention in a somewhat delayed manner, she consciously stepped away from them. Raven moved to stand beside her brother and slipped her hand into his own. He must have felt it but he gave no outward indication. Probably owed that to his desire to concentrate, to keep them all together in this specific memory of his. At least, that was her initial belief. By the way his face kept scrunching up and his nose crinkled like something distasteful was in the air, she reconsidered that perhaps his concentration was on keeping the intruder from joining their little gathering.

"Six months to the day my own mother almost killed me, too drunk to even know she'd done so, was this night." Charles shared.

There was sweat dripping down her brother's face. One of the students she didn't really know except from a distance, capable of minor healing power, was the first to notice.

"Professor X? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Tom. Watch the memory, Erik. It's what you want. My darkest secret."

"Charles, if the brutality of your brother is to continue, I don't want-"

"Erik."

Raven watched Magneto's mouth snap shut, jaw tightening as he turned to look at Charles after quickly wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve. Erik had been crying. She hadn't seen him do that in a long time. The Brotherhood leader prided himself on strength, endurance, and the power that mutation brought. But she understood. She understood exactly how it felt when someone like Charles Xavier got hurt.

"If I'd had a choice, you never would have seen the last memory. That is something I wouldn't intentionally inflict onto any of you. This memory, this is my sin, not theirs."

"Charles-"

"Charles." Raven interrupted with her own voice and a tug on her brother's hand.

She pulled him slightly to the side, so that her brother's focus could be on the young girl sitting behind the chair the teenage memory of Charles was perched on. If he needed to concentrate on fending off the intruder, it would be best to keep his attention on her. The image of her, young and content simply being near her adoptive brother, was what she knew to be the sole innocent memory he retained of that night, the night of the fire.

Perhaps a tad hypocritical, her own attention roamed over to the young teenagers in the room, where everyone else's focus stayed once the talking started. She couldn't help herself. A part of her wanted to see this night play out now that she was much older and could understand things better.

"This place is always cold," muttered the older of the two.

"This place is heartless, Cain. That's what you feel."

Cain snorted. "What kind of metaphorical crap is that?"

Young Charles sighed and shifted into a more comfortable position in his seat, appearing a bit sleepy. She didn't understand how he could ever sleep in that monster's presence. It tended to help when one was capable of reading another's thoughts, though. He likely knew when Cain was feeling particularly volatile. Besides, even she came to learn that the oldest child living with them, mercifully in summers alone, only risked attacking Charles following his father beating her brother down. Cain might have anger from his own father's spiteful hatred of him, but he was still a coward at heart. He picked on the weak. It was his mistake that he would learn Charles was far from weak.

After a long moment, Charles glanced his step-brother's way.

"When you graduate, I suppose you'll never return?"

"Hell no. I'm never coming back here." Cain answered immediately, then took in what he'd said and how it was said. "Umm..I'm sorry, you know. For leaving you here..with him."

Charles didn't even look at him when he replied back. "But you're glad it's me and not you."

Cain shrugged and returned to staring at the flames licking at the piled logs. "He hates me, prefers you, yet beats you easily whenever you get in his way of hitting me. He's a twisted fuck."

The young Charles, still looking rather sleepy, eyed the older boy partially. "You prey on the weak as well, just like your father. You think because you're his son you have to be like him. You don't and you know it. It's simply easier for you to become what he expects you will."

"And gets me off. Hey I told you I'd rather have your sister, but no, you won't let me near her. Your ass does just fine anyway." Cain laughed a little, continuing to stare at the fire. "You'll be rid of me soon enough. Just behave Xavier."

It was unclear whether he'd heard all or any of Cain's disgusting speech; Charles was just about asleep in his chair.

"I hate this house," murmured Charles.

The older teen looked at him sharply, then relaxed in the next second. "Me too. It's misery."

"You should burn this house down," the fourteen-year-old said with a laugh. "Someone should... I wonder where my mother is tonight."

His eyes closed to mere slits, tiredness overtaking his consciousness. Behind his chair, Raven watched her young self falling asleep right along with her brother. Cain on the other hand, was anything but tired. His eyes were alert, no, wide, but not alert. If anything, she'd say his eyes appeared unfocused and far away.

A moment later and Cain stood up. There was a lingering glance on Charles, and then he was walking over to the fireplace. A swift kick sent a fiery log out of the fireplace. The second kick sent more logs out of the fire and the curtains went up into liquid orange and yellow colors. Then he picked up one of the logs still very much burning, and walked out of the room. His demeanor was calm and alienated, as though what he was doing was the most natural thing in the world.

It was a long time in her past, but Raven remembered this night. She remembered waking to the smell of burnt toast. At least, that's what she'd thought it had been at first.

Sure enough, the memory of her small self was waking up. She took in the sight of her child-aged self awakening with a cough and bleary eyes. The fire was spreading rapidly and there was smoke everywhere. Raven knew from her own memory that the air had felt thin, void almost entirely of oxygen.

Her blonde self turned blue in her panic at the thinness of the air, the difficulty in breathing. She climbed to her feet and crawled into Charles's lap, shaking him and crying for him to wake up, that something was wrong. The teenage boy did wake, and it was to find half the room was already ablaze with fiery danger.

He stood up, lifting Raven up with him even though it was an obvious struggle for the small-framed boy. Fortunately he need only carry her to the doorway when a woman in a velvet robe met them there. The woman glanced at them and away, obvious concern over the smoke billowing through the halls. A quick whisper into the small Raven's ear and she was shifting back to her regular looking form.

Charles handed his sister over to his mother, sternly looking at her to make sure she understood what she was to do.

"Get Raven out. Stay there. I'm going to find Kurt and Cain."

"Your step-father's already outside. He was working in the-"

"Mother."

The woman wrapped her arms tighter around the scared child in her arms. "I know. I've got her. Find your brother and get the both of you outside. Hurry."

She turned on her heel and hurried off toward the exit from the house. Charles wasted no time in running from the room and in the opposite direction as his mother. Though those viewing the memory couldn't see it, they knew he was using his power to locate his brother's mind. His brow was creased in a frown as he did so, and his legs carried him downstairs and to the kitchen. They didn't have to follow him at all. The memory shifted and their surroundings altered without them having to move.

The fire had spread frighteningly quick. It was everywhere. When the young Charles dashed into the kitchen and found his step-brother, it was to find him standing there, staring at the burning log still in his hand. The flames licked against his pale flesh and Charles's frown lifted to become an expression of horror.

"Cain! Put it down. You're burning yourself!"

The older boy dropped the stick immediately and blinked a few times. He looked puzzled and disoriented. He didn't seem to know how he'd gotten where he was and then he was holding his badly burned arm to his side, the pain apparently only reaching his mind now.

"Cain, we have to go!"

One of the kitchen windows busted open under the pressure of the smoke and fire taking over the room. Charles moved forward and grabbed Cain's arm, tugging him toward the way out. He met no resistance until the archway above the door collapsed, fully engulfed in flames. Both boys stumbled to a halt, utterly trapped now by a wall of fire and wood.

Cain coughed and slid against the kitchen wall, far too close to the collapsed exit. He continued to clutch his burned arm to his side, eyes darting around in a desperate bid to find an escape route. Charles looked briefly over the room himself but he knew there was no other way out except for where it had been blocked off. Standing in front of the two particularly large pieces of wood on fire in the doorway, he considered the sight. If they could lift at least one piece of wood they would be able to get out. There was no possibility for him to move it; he was too small. Cain might be capable of such a feat, but with one arm virtually useless, it was impossible for him to accomplish the task either.

He turned to his step-brother. "We can't get out. We're trapped."

All he got was some cursing from his brother under his breath. Then his brother's gaze flickered up to him.

"What did you do to me?"

Young Charles looked genuinely shocked. "What?"

Before Cain could repeat the question there was a yell from nearby. "Charles! Charles!"

Cain perked up, climbing to his feet and turning toward the blocked doorway. "Father?!"

"Cain! Is Charles with you?"

Darkness shuttered over his expression immediately. Watching on, Raven knew the unmistakably anger he felt that his father liked his step-brother more. Charles Xavier, the preferred son because he was smart, kind, and full of potential. When the older boy shifted toward the unsuspecting Charles, she actually shuddered. She knew he didn't get to hurt her brother that night, but even so, she could see the raw fury and hatred covering his face.

Kurt was there then, on the other side of the flames, peering into the doorway. He was hunched over, sweat running down his face. Then his eyes searched the circumstance before him and he acted. Stooping, he was visibly using all of his strength to raise one of the logs. He managed to shove it aside and then he stepped through. Taking Charles's hand, his gaze went to his biological son.

"Come on, Cain."

Then he was making his way out of the kitchen, moving carefully but quickly. He kept Charles held close to his side; he barely glanced back once to ensure Cain was following. The fire was everywhere. It was obvious this house would be consumed by the flames. Raven knew that in time, the summerhouse would be rebuilt. She and Charles would hardly ever return to this place. It was filled with bad memories. No wonder it was the focal point of Charles's nightmares tonight, intruder meddling or not.

The three of them made it out of the house and across the yard. They made it a safe distance away and then all of them dropped to the grass, coughing out ashen smoke. Kurt laid himself across the ground, on his back, and both Cain and Charles saw the bloodied up stomach for the first time. His breathing was labored and the two teenagers understood the wound was serious.

"Charles," he managed to get out, voice low and exhausted.

Cain turned away in disgust, putting some distance between him and the father who didn't love him. He glanced toward his step-mother and step-sister, and then kept his ground to stare at Charles. His stare was not kind, accusing really.

"Charles." Kurt tried again.

The teenage Charles got to his knees beside his step-father. "Hold on. The police are here with the fire fighters. Help is coming."

"Charles, there's something I need to tell you. Something you need to know." His speech was a downright struggle for him.

"It's okay. Talk later." He lifted his gaze up and over to his mother and sister. "Mother! Mother get help! Kurt's hurt!"

She did. She ran for the nearest police car with Raven scooped up in her arms. Charles watched a policeman wrap a blanket over his sister's shoulders while another officer spoke with his mother. Help would be coming.

Kurt's ragged voice brought his attention back to the awful wound in his step-father's gut and then his gaze roved over the man's face.

"I need to say this, Charles."

Inevitably his gaze returned to his mother and sister. His mother was heading across the yard now, police officer and medical officer walking alongside her.

"Your father."

His gaze snapped back down to Kurt's face.

"I let him die."

"What are you talking about? Kurt?"

He dragged himself partially upright, propping his upper body up by his elbows. "The accident at work. I could have saved Brian. I chose not to. I let him die."

Horror would be too gentle of a word for the expression overtaking Charles's face at this revelation. He gasped out the only question on his mind.

"Why?"

Kurt didn't answer at first, instead averting his eyes and forcing Charles to repeat himself.

"Why? To marry my mother? I know you only married her for her money but that came after my dad died. Tell me why."

Step-father and step-son's eyes met. "We both suspected what you were. The explosion at work... We researched people with genetic mutation... He didn't want to use you for the tests but I was more than willing. You have so much potential."

His step-father reached for him and Charles flinched away. "You let my dad die. You drove my mother to drink more than she already did. You did that on purpose so she wouldn't know what you did to me! To Cain!"

"I'm so sorry, Charles."

Tears welled up in young Charles's eyes. Anger shone along with the obvious sorrow overtaking his composure. Raven knew why he hadn't seen this truth before. Charles was not yet masterful or always mindful of his ability. He hadn't known how to thoroughly scan a mind, rarely tried it even since it was too much an invasion of privacy.

"You hurt Cain and made him into a monster who likes to hurt people. He wanted to hurt my sister! When you killed my father you let both my parents die because my mother will never be the same! She'll never love me like she should!"

"I'm sorry," was all Kurt repeated weakly.

He stared into his step-father's eyes. "Stop breathing."

It was like his breath caught in his throat. Shock and fear came into his eyes as he fell back to the ground and stared up at his step-son. Strangled, choking sounds emerged from his throat. Charles backed away as the medical officer arrived and immediately tried to straighten Kurt out on his back to deduce what was wrong. He stared at his step-father flailing helplessly on the ground until the struggling stopped. Then he continued to watch as the medical aid failed to resuscitate him.

The first time Charles fully realized what his powers allowed him to do to other people. There had been no regret or grief in his eyes. He merely watched Kurt die, calmly.

"He did it!" Cain was screaming in the background, though Charles hardly took notice. "He made me do it! He made me start the fire! He used his mind. He made me do it!"

The blathering continued even as he was dragged away by two officers who'd come to see what all the crazed screaming was about. Cain Marko was locked away that night in an institution for the mentally insane, indefinitely.

Charles only tore his eyes away from his dead step-father when he heard his mother crying over Kurt's body. They'd been left alone now, to mourn apparently. He came to stand near his mother's shoulder.

"He was bad. Mean. You didn't love him. I saw." He tapped the side of his head.

The slap came as a shock, to all of them watching this memory play out, and to young Charles himself.

"Kurt was all I had left!"

The recipient of the slap looked at the woman who was his mother and neglector in fear, confusion, and a deep sadness.

"What about me? What about Raven?"

"You're better off far from me."

"You love me. I can see it. Why won't you show it?"

She raised her had to slap him again but forced herself to stop in mid-motion. What she settled for didn't hurt any less.

"Freak!" she hissed at him.

She stood up and walked away, back towards the police cars and fire trucks. She left Charles looking absolutely desolated and alone, save for Raven, who was staring in his direction with great worry. She stood up from where she'd been sat in the police car and that was when the memory faded entirely. Something different happened this time around.

Pure white light shone blindingly in Raven's eyes and she burst awake, sudden and surprised. Looking around, she found herself back in the room with Hank and the others, very blue, and very much present. She must have sleep-walked down to this room when the dream had been in play. Quite possibly it had been Charles's doing. To keep her away from him? She paused long enough to shift to blonde, shout Charles's name out loud, and then she took off running for the staircase. She felt the irresistible need to get to her brother.

She only made it to the top of the stairs, the other newly awakened mutants close behind her, when she found her brother already waiting for her.

"Charles!"

Her brother turned toward her, slow, stiff. Then she saw the scar. A scar that went from the top of his right brow, over the bridge of his nose, and across his left cheekbone to the jawline. That in itself hadn't been the alarm for her. It was when he looked at her with cold eyes and zero recognition that she knew something was terribly wrong with her brother.

The excitement to see him morphed into confused concern. "Charles?"

"A friend of Charles is an enemy of mine." Charles said to her.

She stared at him, then heard Sarah on her left side speak. "If you're not Charles than who are you?"

"Do you think he's the intruder?" Alex wondered, looking at the man slowly regarding each and every one of them.

It was Charles in every way except for the large scar and his eyes. His eyes were still that startling blue but they somehow seemed less so because they were cold, vacant-looking. His clothing wasn't her brother's usual dressed up choice either. He was wearing all black. He had on black boots, black pants, a black vest over a black shirt, and a black collared coat that went to his knees. Nothing she would ever see her brother wearing.

"Mutants. All of you. What is this place?"

Raven frowned. "How can you not know?"

Aki raised himself from the floor, using his ability to manipulate gravity to float upward, and then he flew past the man who could not be Charles, and down the hall. The man merely watched him go and then returned his attention to the seven of them remaining.

"I've come for the owner of this house, Charles Xavier. You will stay out of my way or die. Really, I do hope you get in my way."

"We're not going to let you touch him!" Tom shouted.

Alex and Sean were muttering their agreement with his proclamation. Nobody was going to lay a finger on their professor and Raven found it heart-warming. It made her feel a tad homesick, too. She used to be one of them. She forced the feeling away. Something much bigger than her own feelings was going on here.

"If you're not Charles, who are you?" Hank asked. "A shape-shifter?"

"I am from the future," the man divulged.

Raven all but gasped. That time-traveling girl was at it again, messing with time. Wait, a telepath from the future and Charles's recent behavior, leading to him at one point calling himself, X. This man must have been the intruder manipulating her brother's mind. She said as much out loud, so everyone with her could understand what she did. Her realization brought a slight smirk to the other man's face and he took it upon himself to make an introduction.

"My name is X."


	10. The Intruder

Chapter Nine

The Intruder

Westchester County, New York

Charles jolted awake, sitting up and immediately collapsing back onto the bed. Reliving so many of his worst memories had been a most unpleasant experience. He sat himself up again when he felt shifting around somewhere by his head. Erik.

Erik was waking from where he'd propped himself against the headboard very close to Charles. Erik was with him. Charles breathed in and out and then took in the woman lying comfortably on her side, staring at him.

"Miss Frost," he greeted politely.

"You really do have the bluest eyes. Gorgeous."

He liked to think the faintest of blushes wasn't showing on his face, but that fantasy died when Shaw chose to comment on it.

"Impossibly innocent. How enticing."

The blush deepened but he did his best to ignore it when Erik placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned slightly to regard his old friend, aware of two newcomers entering the room out of the corner of his eye. His mind didn't sense them because it was occupied reconstructing its walls so his powers could be used by choice, avoiding an overflow of thoughts from breaching his defenses. He needed the control back or he could quite possibly have a mental breakdown until he got it fixed.

Azazel and Riptide said nothing when they came in, though they might have, if a young Japanese boy hadn't pushed past them to reach Charles's side.

"Nanika nomimasen ka?"

Charles chuckled softly. For a situation so dire only moments ago, the teenager was wondering if he'd like something to drink. Always the picture of politeness. Still, he knew his students and he knew the boy was worried about what he'd seen, the terrible childhood of his professor's he'd witnessed. He declined the offer of a drink politely with the minimal Japanese he spoke to enable him to confer with his own dear student.

"Iie kekkou desu, Aki."

"Iie. Hikou."

He jabbed at his own chest when he corrected Charles's use of his own name in favor of his X-Men name. His student was warning him that they were in the presence of enemies, should he not have realized it yet. Guilt welled up in his gut for a moment. These last few years he had been anything but the professor he should have been to any of his students. For any of them, Aki included, to have remained behind with him in the mansion through it all was heartwarming.

"Ii desu." Charles reassured him. "It's okay."

"Wakarimashita."

Aki nodded once, bowed briefly towards his professor, and then took a step back to give him room. His attention shifted to Erik. It was inevitable, he supposed, since this was the infamous Magneto, accused terrorist and enemy of humanity. The heated gaze of Erik's was not for Aki, however, it was for him.

"You wish to ask me something?"

Erik arched an eyebrow at him, absent-mindedly adjusting the helmet atop his head as if to make sure it was safely in place. He should know better. They'd always understood each other on a more intimate level without Charles needing to resort to his ability, and Erik knew it. Or perhaps he had forgotten.

"Casting aside the fact that you led me to believe your childhood had been a pampered and comfortable one, I wonder about something else. When you used your power to tell your step-father to stop breathing, you didn't put your fingers to your head. You were a mere child then. Fourteen."

"People are more comfortable when they think they can see me using my telepathy."

"So the finger thing, unnecessary." Erik realized out loud.

Shaw murmured his fascination with Charles's telepathy and it made him flinch. He didn't like such a man expressing so much interest, especially in him. He tried to pretend he didn't see how hurt Erik looked, that Charles had deceived him in such a big way. But he hadn't even thought about it as deceit. He'd done the action for so long, it had become second nature for him to mimic the pose when concentrating. He hadn't even thought about it as a lie. Great, more guilt twisted in his stomach.

"Sensei."

He forced his full attention to Aki again to see what had him so concerned. "Hai?"

"You are bad."

Charles could tell he struggled to find the right words, which meant he hadn't quite.

"You mean I was," he tried out.

The boy was shaking his head and then pointed to his head. "Use power."

He did. Then stood up abruptly, following the action up by pausing to take in that he had full mobility with his legs. He still hadn't gotten used to that yet. He'd never imagined regaining the ability to walk. He'd hoped, he'd dreamed, but never once had he thought it'd become reality. Pushing the pleasant feeling aside, Charles tried to freeze the trespassing mind with a thought, a mind that he felt was just down the hallway. Too close for comfort since he could sense the minds of his other students, Angel and Raven, in proximity to the intruder. The task proved impossible. He couldn't even worm his way inside the mind.

"His defense is impeccable. I can't even get a glimmer of a thought to identify him." Emma shared.

"I got a glimpse when we were in my dream, but I think he wanted me to."

Charles's eyes began to glow blue causing everyone around him to tense up. The two still on the bed, got off, watching the using telepath warily.

"Charles, what are you doing?" Erik asked him.

He was working on blocking out the telepathic attack directed at everyone in the room with him, however, so he did not respond. The intruder had felt him and Emma prodding at his mind and had not appreciated the attempt.

"Stop," he said out loud. When his mind alone couldn't get the job done, speaking the commands sometimes worked. "Stop. We will not try again."

His eyes faded back to their typical blue shade, still rather bright admittedly, but he was able to relax now. The attack on the other minds in the room had ceased. The intruder was drawing away from their room, heading downstairs. He could sense the other minds were moving with him. Why?

He had to find out. He ran. He ran out of the room, down the stairs, and a few yards across the open foyer area. After those few yards he slid to an abrupt halt. Raven was there. Hank, Alex, Tom, everybody. They stood off to the side and all turned to look at him simultaneously. They'd been waiting and most probably not of their own free will. Their expressions were ones of horror when they saw him but it was like they could barely move, couldn't even speak.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he inquired worriedly.

Behind him he heard footsteps and knew the others had followed him down the stairs. They made it in time for the intruder to make himself known, literally stepping out of the shadows. He knew he shouldn't feel it, but he felt shame when the man made himself known. When a version of himself from the future made himself known to the others.

He felt clean now, free of the fog that had been his mind over the past few weeks, yet he couldn't help fearing this could happen. In some other universe or timeline, he had become a monster. The potential to be someone terrible was in him. It had happened which meant it could happen. He couldn't let that be.

"I've ensured they will not interfere. You and I, we need to talk."

"What do you want?" he dared ask.

His other self, branding himself X, cocked his head to the side to take in the five substantially powerful mutants standing near the stairs. The ones standing a couple yards behind where Charles stood.

"Who are they?"

"Nobody."

X snorted. "I doubt that. The old me was all about taking in strays, like these ones here." He gestured vaguely to his right where Charles was now certain his students, and Angel, and Raven were being telepathically held in place and silent.

"Release them," he demanded.

Naturally, his request was ignored. "I recognize that one. The great Magneto."

Charles frowned at the use of this name but didn't say anything. Instead he carefully paid attention to the situation and words being spoken. He would use any opening made available to him. Right now, X's focus seemed to be for Magneto.

"You can kill." X stated, a sick grin overtaking his face. "I can, too. Your Brotherhood fell apart pretty quickly once I crossed that line."

He looked over his shoulder to gauge how Erik was taking this very different version of himself. It was obvious he didn't like meeting the man any more than Charles did. Even more so, Erik looked torn between confused anger and utter disbelief. He understood the feeling. This man was nothing like he believed himself to be. Certainly the last decade had been more than a little rough for him, but becoming the dark clothed man across from him, he couldn't believe ever happening.

"The difference between our kills, Magneto?" he said it in a tone that stated he was obviously going to be telling him what that difference was. "I enjoy every death by my hand while you do away with lives actually believing it is justified. All for a cause, you claimed. How does it feel knowing I have seen the future, several versions, and know what you wish to pass, will never happen?"

"You can see the future? How is that possible?" Charles questioned.

X grinned. "Right. I gained multiple abilities from other mutants. You don't have that. You could have but I saw it in your mind, all my work has been undone."

"You had no right to invade my mind. And, abilities from other mutants? How?"

"Still ever the scholarly mind, aren't you? It took a few dozen mutants but eventually I came to see where in the brain the mutation is located. Once I could see it and how it worked, I could use the ability myself. I have quite a number of abilities at my disposal."

Charles understood, even before the others, just what his dark self meant. "You mean, you mean you killed a few dozen mutants to gain the ability to adapt other powers?"

A laugh was the immediate response. "Oh I've killed so many more than a few dozen. Those ones were the ones I selected, tore apart, dissected."

He was pretty certain he'd vomited a bit in his mouth. Swallowing hard, he continued to force his eyes to remain on X. But X didn't seem bothered by his own words. He was refocusing on Erik instead.

"You never answered me, Magneto. Does it bother you, knowing your goals will never be realized? Do you want to know why they can never happen?"

"X." Charles said it to get his attention away from Erik. He didn't like someone who looked so much like him, save for the outfit and facial scar, to be focusing on his friend. "You underestimate the human race and their will to survive, their capacity to endure and understand."

"That's just it. Humans and mutants are the same. But Magneto only ever desires to separate them."

His diversion was a failure, X's gaze returning to look past Charles's shoulder at Erik. Erik, who was moving to stand closer to Charles. He reluctantly admitted it made him feel better somehow. Erik always was a solid presence that he could feel with his telepathy when in close proximity. It would seem his presence was magnetic for the other him as well.

"You hold to a cause, claiming to have reason, but there is none." X boldly informed Erik as Magneto. "You seek to combat the humans because you know not what else to do. You are lost. You are alone. Always alone, just like me. We chose the very solitary life we feared, loathed, never wanted to have. We let go." X laughed, cruel and cold. "Probably shouldn't have done that. Now look at what I've become."

Charles was surprised when Erik dignified the other man with a response. It was an endearing response. The first words, not so much, but the rest.

"A monster..." Erik merely breathed out, then raised his volume when he continued. "You can't be Charles. He is too pure of heart to be as you are."

"I'm more powerful than ever. Did you know I'm the most powerful mutant ever to exist? And that was true even before I learned to adapt the powers of other mutants. I could bring this world to its knees with a mere thought." His gaze shifted to Charles. "The man I was never would have done that. Never would have allowed himself to reach his full potential to do it. He cared too much. But I'm not him. I've contemplated killing everyone in this house tonight..."

He tensed up, feeling rather helpless but ready to do anything to try and defend against this monster wearing his face. He could feel the others around him stiffening, thoughts filtering through their minds on what they might do to attack the man threatening them. The situation defused as quickly as it had ignited.

"I think I'll give it some time. Time for Charles to decide what he is capable of, used against everyone."

"That would never happen." Erik said before he had the chance to say the same himself.

"It was happening. Of course, I've been pressuring him into it happening." Two fingers tapped the side of his head. "Couldn't take the risk you and your little team would convince him of who he really is."

"But we did. It's done. Get over it." Emma told him, ever so confidently.

"Charles could become me if he would just let me back into his mind to redo my work. Then, Magneto, we could have the war you always wanted."

"But.."

Was Erik seriously considering this man's words? Why was he humoring him? Oh...Azazel and Riptide were in play. They each of them had picked a direction and gradually moved closer and closer to the telepath from the future. Erik was humoring the man as a means to attract his attention. Still, the tone of his old friend's voice made him think the conversation wasn't entirely for nothing. There was emotion layering the words, unmistakably.

"It's not supposed to end with nearly eliminating every person on the planet."

"It's war, Magneto." X stated, sounding incredulous. "War is death. In the time I come from, you do not live long enough to see the war come to fruition. In another time-frame, or so I've been told by my benefactors, you live to an old age, but war comes, too. Many mutants die. Many humans die. You are lost and, so the female one tells me, you become a shadow of your former self, because you no longer have Charles to keep you strong. Even as he was on another side from yours in this time period, he was your constant, your strength that mutants deserved protection and had the right to power."

"Apocalypse and Anomaly, they're behind this. They brought you here to change me."

"Yeah, what a failure that was. Now I'm stuck here with nothing to do." The look on his face was more akin to a childish pout than mere disappointment.

Charles glanced to his side where Erik stood, when the man ignored his better judgement to ask something.

"What happened to Charles? In the..in the timeline that you just mentioned." He returned Charles gaze casually. "I believe that timeline is the one we are on now. That war sounds very much like the one we were warned needed to be prevented."

It made sense. It did. But he didn't like the question anyway. He didn't want to know what could happen to him in the future. He'd rather live day by day and live in the present.

"Murdered, of course. He lived to a relatively old age, but, one of his students could no longer control her power and she killed him. Right in front of you, I hear. He warned you about calming the mind. But you spurred her on to be 'mutant and proud'." His voice was positively dripping in sarcasm. "Proud wouldn't be the word I'd use to describe how you felt afterwards. Misdirected rage? Yes. Towards the humans, and the spark of war was ignited. The beginning of the end."

Charles knew all of that information didn't quite match up. Things played out like his different self was saying, he believed, but other things were responsible for the future war as well. It didn't matter though. Not when he was determined to stop any bad future from happening in the first place.

"I won't let that future come to pass. Charles won't die."

"Aw, concern for me?"

"Not you. Charles. You're not him. He'd never do the things you've done, or act the way you do."

X followed those words with a harsh laugh. "Don't worry. That future will never be. Those twins are on a mission and they don't seem ready to quit their attempts anytime soon."

Erik was frowning heavily in X's direction and it was not missed by the other at all.

"Don't pretend to care about anyone. You only care about the cause, Magneto. When your own lieutenant became human, you abandoned her."

Automatically, Erik and Charles both looked over to Raven. To say she was shocked and dismayed would be putting it lightly. They both were shocked themselves. Would something like that possibly come to pass? None of it seemed real.

X wasn't done with the man he refused to call anything but Magneto. "You are hateful and ignorant. Your ambition blinds you. I watched you, back when I could have been called innocent, I watched you become just like Shaw, the man you loathed. You became worse than Shaw really, because at least Shaw knew what he was doing was morally reprehensible. He knew it was wrong and didn't pretend otherwise. You, Magneto, actually believe what you're doing is right."

Charles frowned at this alternate version of himself, sounding a bit too like him for comfort. His words were probably harsher than he'd like to say, but still it did not make the words any less true. And for such words to be said in the presence of both Shaw and Erik..not good.

"I've had enough from you, X." Charles stated. "Get the twins to come back and return you to your own timeline. You don't belong here."

He felt it might have been a bad idea, speaking up, when a very dark look focused on him.

"You, so enamored by the well-being and strength of others, you leave no room for yourself to realize your full potential."

"What have you done to yourself to make you this way?" The question slipped out before he even realized he was asking it.

"The empath power of ours, I learned to shut it off. I don't feel anything anymore. It's..refreshing. All that's left inside is the hatred I feel toward mutants. They ruined my life, ruined the world. Death is what I bring them." He had the audacity to sigh with regret. "I want to go back to my world. It's so much better there."

Charles once again found himself horrified and disgusted by this vastly different type of self he was staring at. He couldn't find much familiarity between him and X. He was speechless. The other other him was getting there, too.

"I tire of this. If you cannot be convinced, then I no longer wish to be here. I dislike this time and would much prefer my own again."

"Oh how unfortunate; you're unhappy." Charles muttered.

X noticed Azazel and he noticed Riptide. In the next second the both of them were on their knees on the ground, clutching at their heads and yelling out in pain. Then he grinned one final time at all of them.

"I've never known true happiness, and, if the song remains the same, neither will you. Goodbye, Charles."

His final words said, he was gone in the blink of an eye. He simply vanished. He could have used his ability to make none of them able to see him, but Charles was usually able to see the work of other telepaths. A teleportation ability perhaps? He couldn't help his attention from briefly wandering over toward Azazel, and then he nearly fell over when Raven threw herself into him.

"I still can't believe it! You're walking! You're you again! You're okay!"

Yes, he was okay physically. But was he all right?


	11. Warnings

Chapter Ten

Warnings

Westchester County, New York

"I've been watching the mansion intermittently throughout the years. I've not forgotten anything that has come before, and I have never stopped caring."

"But it's not enough. I'm not enough. You want what you want and that's how it has always been for you. I can never believe in your manner of seeking mutant acceptance. I want peace, and violence can never lead to true peace. We don't want the same things, so..."

Mystique slipped her very blue hand into Hank's furry one. "Ugh, come on, those two will probably go on for hours with their debate. It's been ten years, they've got plenty to throw at each other."

The highly intellectual man gave her a momentary bewildered expression and then allowed her to lead him off toward her old room. Vaguely she observed that the others were ambling about, the majority of the Brotherhood heading into the kitchen along with Alex, Sean, and Tom. She didn't know Tom like she'd known Alex and Sean, but she could see how well they all seemed to fit together with a deep fondness. It was like how she had been with the two of them, a long time ago.

She shook the thought away. It was a sad thought about what could have been and she didn't like those thoughts. Such thoughts were a waste of time. Besides, she'd chosen to follow Magneto because of the future he had to offer. She wanted to live in a world where she was accepted, where she could be her true self without being afraid. Charles just never understood what it was like for her to have to hide how she truly appeared. He'd never had to hide like that. He didn't get it? That was her best argument to support the Brotherhood cause? Yikes.

Hank was looking at her. Hank would suffice as a wonderful distraction and she had missed him a fair bit over the past decade. On to a more positive thinking frame of mind.

"So Hank, what wonderful designs have kept you busy over the years?"

He hesitated, nervous. She couldn't believe he could still be so awkward around her. On that strand of thought, Mystique couldn't believe she still found it cute. After taking a seat across from her, at the foot of her old bed while she rested comfortably with her back against the pillows, he sort of met her gaze.

"Well, you already know most of it. Your Brotherhood of Mutants learned about Cerebro being rebuilt, I've spent a lot of my time learning how to be a teacher as much as I've spent my time actually teaching..."

"The students. There used to be a lot more of them. Why did they leave?"

"The last ten years haven't been the easiest for any of us. Preventing you lot from murdering unsuspecting humans least of all. The professor, your brother, he's not like when I met him. He used to be unbelievably optimistic, high-spirited, and I really believed in him because he believed in us."

Mystique frowned slightly. "He still believes in you. He has to."

Did that sound a little immature? Probably. She didn't let it bother her when concern for her brother easily overruled her thought process. Amazing how often that happened to her of late. Time away from Charles apparently hadn't done her any good.

"I know he does, believe in us that is. I'm just not so sure he believes in himself anymore and..well, he wasn't in any condition to be around the youngest of our students. The older ones who left, they went because they saw a good man become jaded and depressed. The school wasn't what it should be and he knew it and they knew it. Maybe, when the professor is ready to teach again, they'll come back."

That was disheartening news. She felt guilt deep in her gut, twisting and swirling to make itself known. Her brother was lonely. She'd been his only friend for such a long time and then she'd left. This was nothing she wanted to dwell on.

She forced a happy smile onto her face. "So come on, spill. I've heard some rumors you've been cooking up something new. Well?"

A faint blush tinted his cheeks and he glanced into his lap before looking back up at her.

"I have been formulating a drug that suppresses the X-gene. I've successfully modified the drug to allow me up to twenty-four hours without another injection to appear fully human."

Mystique gaped at the young man across from her. "You did it? You managed to make it work?" Then a much more relevant question occurred to her. "Why aren't you using it now? Why not use it all the time?"

Hank was like she had once been, hating how he looked different from everyone else. And that was when it was just his feet notably affected by his mutation. Now he was a furry, well, beast, with claws and ears, and...well he still wore his glasses. Was it odd she found the glasses and fur thing enticing?

"I use it when it's pertinent, such as when I'm out in public on business or visiting my family. Otherwise, I don't bother."

She had to ask. "Still ashamed of what you are?"

The bitterness leaked into her voice. She knew he had heard it and he reacted as was expected, looking away for a moment. When he did look straight ahead at her, she saw a confidence and certainty in him she'd never quite witnessed before.

"Sometimes I hate that I don't look like everyone else, yeah. Sometimes I hate knowing if I went out there looking the way I do, people would whisper and stare. It's too abnormal to not draw attention. People get uncomfortable around others who look different. Even when they don't want to think like that, it just happens to most."

He seemed to be picking up steam with this speech of his. Color her vaguely impressed. She was listening.

"But you know what?" Hank said to her. "I've realized it didn't make them bad people. Some of them are, of course, but a lot of them aren't. So I've learned to embrace the way I look, like a girl with burn marks on her body from a house fire, or a boy with a disfiguring scar on his face has to. I've learned to accept people in general often struggle to accept those different from them, but they can. I've come to truly believe in Professor Xavier's belief that one day I'll be able to look my natural blue and fuzzy self in public, even if some might look at me with disgust or fear."

"And you're okay with that?"

"I've been studying the law and politics quite a lot over the years. I do believe it can happen. Yeah I'm okay with it. More than okay. I'm excited to see the world change, and the professor is the one to stick with to see that happen."

"My brother?" she shifted uncomfortably in her seat on the bed.

"We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies. Martin Luther King said that. He's made a huge mark on history. That's Charles Xavier, too. You'll see."

She'd never imagined anyone to believe so fiercely in her brother. Charles was naive, blind, ignorant. He didn't understand what it felt like to live with a physical mutation. He didn't get that there were people out there in the government who wanted to hurt or use mutants for their own agendas. This mansion sheltered him from the reality of the world.

Mystique smiled weakly at Hank and patted his hand with her own. "Come on, let's go get some food. I'm starving."

Passing through the corridor just beside the foyer area, they caught a fraction more of the conversation going on still.

"Don't you trust me?" She heard Erik asking Charles.

The question was followed by a brief pause before a response was given.

"I don't think I trust you, to trust me."

"Your mind is yours again. I know I can trust you."

Mystique hesitated just outside one of the doors that would lead her to the entrance of the manor where the Brotherhood leader and her brother stood together. She shouldn't be eavesdropping. It was wrong. She pressed her ear against the door, even as she noted Hank's disapproving stare directed her way.

"We continue as we are now, and we will stay true to our beliefs, but we will lose ourselves and our own happiness. I wish you could forgive humanity for their mistakes."

Sheesh, her brother really knew how to lay the drama on thick. He was overreacting. Magneto would lead them to change the world and things would get better. She wouldn't have to hide anymore. Charles just didn't understand.

"You can't. You lost your family, your childhood. You saw the worst of mankind. It left a scar, I do not fault you for that. My own childhood, was less than desirable as well. I barely remember what it was to be loved by parents, so neither of us had good childhoods. We both suffered the unfairness of this world."

"You're agreeing with me..."

Magneto sounded confused. Charles was anything but.

"Suffering the unfairness of the world, that is many! I see it, I feel it."

Mystique could imagine her brother tapping the side of his head with two fingers toward the end of that sentence.

"Raven!" Hank hissed quietly. "We shouldn't be listening."

"Mutants and humans suffer every day." Charles was saying to Erik. "Pain, you could say it's the great equalizer."

Damn her brother and his ability to speak so profoundly. Hank was tugging at her arm. She let him drag her off to the kitchen, leaving Charles and Erik to their far too serious conversation. They only ever seemed to have heavy discussions with one another ever since they'd started seeing each other after a decade without having direct contact. She was really starting to wonder whether time apart or time together was the issue between them.

She didn't want to be in the kitchen anymore when she saw who had gathered. Everyone had managed to find their way to the kitchen over the last ten minutes since they'd dispersed from the front entrance. Her own Brotherhood allies were fine by her, as were the students and X-Men of her brother's, but Shaw, Shaw was there. He sat reclined comfortably in one of the kitchen chairs around the table, Emma on his right and Sarah on his left.

Sarah couldn't be blamed for her choice in seating. It was likely she didn't fully comprehend the extent of the cruelty the man was capable of and the threat he could pose at any moment. But Emma seemed to be placing herself beside Shaw regularly, like she were fitting an old glove. The kitchen was ridiculously big, she kept herself on the other end from Shaw.

"What's going on in here?" Hank asked, looking toward Alex and Tom for his answer.

The two got along like they were brothers. So it was no surprise to find them in the midst of sneaking coffee grounds into Sean's coke. Aki, sitting across from the three boys and next to Sarah, possibly did not understand the joke behind the act and he was quick to point it out.

"Bleh! Ewwie!"

Sean, who'd been occupied eyeing Azazel and Riptide suspiciously from where they were seated behind him at the kitchen counter, turned back around in his seat at the exclamation. Giving the teenager a cursory glance, he shrugged the wide eyes off and grabbed up his beverage. He took a sip, and spat it out with a cough and a curse.

"What the-"

His startled eyes flitted about the room and then found purchase on a grinning Alex and Tom. "What are you? Ten?"

They chortled together, Tom patting Alex on the back congratulatory-like.

"You're pushing thirty, Summers! It's not cute."

"Well I'm not." Tom shared, then briefly stuck his tongue out at Sean before falling into a fit of laughter again.

"Twenty-four, Granger," Sean muttered. "Not much better."

"Serves you right, Sean. You and Aki made mulch of my garden when you were reportedly 'training' last week. It's gonna take me another week to get it where it was."

"Cheating." Aki stated factually to Tom. "Garden not natural."

Tom rolled his eyes. "Hey, I can use my powers to nurse the plants back to health. If I didn't it'd be a lost cause every time laser boy accidentally let one loose right through it."

"Sooo... When are we going to acknowledge the elephant in the room?"

It was Angel who'd spoken, and Raven looked over at her ally in surprise. She hadn't said much since they'd arrived at Xavier mansion. Angel had become a much quieter person once she joined Magneto and the Brotherhood had begun to form.

"You mean time-traveler bitch who thinks she can mess with my brother?"

"Man, what was with that freaky professor clone?" Tom wondered aloud. "That was creepy. Hope we never see him again."

"What if he's just the first, well, technically second." Hank contemplated with them. "She brings Shaw to this time to try and hurt us, then she brings a different universe version of Charles here."

"That's a mind-fu-"

"But she hasn't been hurting us," Raven pointed out, interrupting Sean. "She's been trying to hurt Charles."

Shaw sighed, loudly, and straightened up in his chair. "She doesn't want to hurt Charles. She's been trying to change him. Seems to me he's a fixed point in time, a constant. Unavoidable, always affecting the outcome of the future somehow."

"That actually makes some kind of sense." Hank voiced. "I'd have to do some calculations and consider certain variables but, wait a minute, how do you know about fixed points when contemplating time-travel and the universe?"

The dark suited man shrugged, looking bored already. "I've been alive a good while. Simple to pick up information along the way."

Glancing at the knife block on the counter, Mystique contemplated shoving one of them through Shaw's eye. Never had she committed a murder, but she'd certainly been tempted at times. She forced herself to focus on another in the room instead.

"Angel's right. What if the time-traveler girl isn't done with us? She wants to make sure the future war that apparently happens is going to happen. Did we prevent it? Is everything okay now?" She moved a little further into the kitchen to stand next to Hank when a thought occurred to her. "Wait, can't one of you see the future somehow? Yeah, one of you is called Prophet."

When the Japanese one leaned partially sideways in order to conceal part of the woman next to him, it gave the answer away pretty easily. Her hopeful look to Sarah died fast though.

"Ever since I started getting sick again, my powers have been working intermittently. For over a year now."

"You're sick?" Raven asked with a frown and a slight wrinkling of her nose. "Like how sick?"

"Mystique!" Angel looked positively mortified which she didn't get. "You just can't ask people how sick they are."

Sarah didn't look quite as offended as the slightly older woman labeled her enemy seemed to be on the subject. She smiled politely at Raven, meeting her eyes when she told her just how sick she was.

"I'm dying. The doctors tell me I have a few years at best. No matter, in six months I'll die in a car accident. Ironic, don't you think?"

"Um..horrifying? Terrifying? You saw your own death! It's terrible! Can't you change it? You know, make it not happen?"

She continued to smile tentatively at Mystique when she answered. "The future is a dozen possibilities, constantly changing and switching as things happen. Time progresses. In other words," She glanced Hank's way. "My ability isn't an exact science. What I see doesn't always happen, but usually, it does. Even when I try to change things, it doesn't work out the way I intended in most cases."

"Does. Tokidoki, Sarah-san. Sometimes. You, me, saved." Aki confessed.

"That's right." Sarah pulled the teenage boy to her side. "I did. It was a good save."

"With me it doesn't really matter. I'm going to die either way." Sarah reminded. "Six months from now a semi broadsides the passenger side of the car I'm in and I'm killed instantly. I don't know exactly when, and I don't care to avoid it. It's not that I want to die, cause I don't, but I accept what's going to happen is my destiny."

"Oh." Mystique wasn't sure what to say about that.

Sarah's eyes lifted and it took Mystique a couple of seconds to realize she was meeting the gaze of another over her shoulder. She didn't understand until the words were already out of Sarah's mouth, spoken in a softened voice.

"I had leukemia as a child; it went into remission for fourteen years. I'm luckier than many unfortunate enough to get the disease."

A mutant getting leukemia. Humans got leukemia. This was a discomforting notion. She was rethinking things, again, and that wasn't great for her positive thinking frame of mind.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Raven jerked around to see her brother and Erik standing in the doorway of the kitchen. How long they'd been there was anyone's guess. Well, except for Emma, who'd probably sensed their presence the second they walked into the room.

"I didn't have the heart to burden you further, Professor Xavier."

"Ah, so the fault does lie with me. I am truly sorry-"

Her eyebrows shot up a fair distance when Erik clamped his hand over her brother's mouth. "Shut it, Charles, you're not blaming yourself for yet another thing. This is how you became so burdened. You act as though the world is on your shoulders."

"And you act as though the world is yours to control. Which of us is more misguided?"

She watched her brother make his way to the fridge. He stared at it for a moment but didn't open it, instead turning to regard everyone present. He didn't seem to know what to do. Raven could relate.

"Okay, well, let's go upstairs for now I guess."

When Sean said those words, Mystique was startled by how quickly the table vacated, leaving her fellow Brotherhood members and Shaw on one side of the room, while she, Hank, Charles, and Erik remained where they were. She watched them start to go through the other entryway of the kitchen, close to the dining area.

Emma shot up from her seat at the same moment her brother whirled toward the doorway where Erik still stood and where Anomaly was barreling through. Usually he was with the actual time-traveler one of the pair but Apocalypse didn't appear to be anywhere nearby. Anomaly looked very alone and very pissed.

"You're useless, Sebastian Shaw! You're nothing like we've known of you. You were supposed to be useful, but surprise, you weren't. All of you are a waste of air. I'll put some of you down and then we'll see how well your little resistance holds up!"

None of them were expecting him to pull a gun from his boot, not even Magneto. None of them thought Charles would do what he did either. Raven really should have seen her brother's decision coming.

"No! Wait!" Her brother attempted, and moved to position himself in front of the current targets of his gun, Emma and Janos, though Angel, Shaw, and Azazel could easily become a target.

All of this happened in the span of a second or two, where she watched Anomaly move to stand just in front of her, yelling his words. Then he'd pulled the gun, her brother came to stand between them, a hand partially raised as though it would be capable of shielding those behind him, and then the trigger was squeezed.

The bullet meant for her friends whipped into her brother's head and he flipped onto the floor so fast. Her brother was dead. Her brother..dead. Charles was dead. She screamed.

Magneto took a mere second to witness Charles's crumpled form and freaked. He brought an arm up and the gun was ripped from the young boy's hand. He raised both arms to retaliate in a very big and destructive way, but nothing happened because Anomaly was looking at him, focusing on him. He was capable of stifling other people's abilities. That wouldn't be a problem.

Raven screamed her brother's name and ran for him. To do so would mean passing close to Anomaly and so it really was expected when Azazel teleported directly in front of her and pushed her back and away. He was only doing it to protect her but it angered her anyway and she pushed back. When he didn't give, she slumped into his broad shoulder and sobbed into the fabric of his suit. She didn't want to believe what she knew to be true. Charles was-

"Wha?"

She spun around, even as Magneto flew past her with a whirl of his cape, plowing into Anomaly and taking him to the ground. Violent sounds came from the floor where they brawled brutally, but she could only hear the quieter noises that belonged to one man in particular.

She stared in shock as her brother sat up. He put a hand to the side of his forehead and winced. Drawing it back, there was blood, but it was just a small gash.

"Oh my God, it's just a cut!" she shrieked. "Charles!"

His puzzled gaze found her ecstatic one. "Raven? Did I miss something?"

"Charles!"

She jumped on him in her hurry to hug him tightly.

"Ow, Raven, I'm fine. What-Erik, stop!"

The fight did cease then, Brian and Magneto turning to look at him together. Magneto had been in the middle of strangling Brian, who was crazy enough to seem utterly unafraid as it was going on. The relief in the air was palpable. There was also very much a sense of surprise at what Charles had obviously intended to do for them. He'd wanted to protect them. People who didn't even know Charles well. People who were his enemies. Raven grinned into her brother's cheek. That was her brother all right.

"Brian!"

It appeared another sister had come for her brother.

Raven and Charles got to their feet to see where Apocalypse was positioned, the skinny girl sitting on the kitchen counter of all places. She was the epitome of calm and she was looking incredibly annoyed.

"Brian, you are not to be here. I need rest to recuperate my powers and you are making a mess of things by trying your own hand at this. Plan A may have failed, brother, but plan B is well in play."

Her brief speech to Anomaly was enough to distract Magneto and he was kicked off. As soon as the two were briefly separated from their brawl, Apocalypse disappeared from her seat, reappeared beside her brother, and then the two of them vanished after she clutched his arm to hers.

Raven watched in honest amazement when Erik let go of his anger and came to stand by her and Charles.

"You fool. You were this close-"

"It's not that I didn't want you to come." Charles blurted out.

Erik and Raven wore matching looks of confusion and curiosity. It was Erik who was being spoken to, however, so he responded, albeit, not too intelligently.

"What?"

"You said before, on that day you came to visit, the first time in ten years. You said you believed I didn't want you to come. But it's not that. You believed I might ask you to stay if you came. You didn't want to say no to me on that front, did you?"

Raven wasn't completely following, but Erik seemed to be. "You've only got it partway right. I was afraid you'd ask me to stay because I was afraid I'd say yes."

Oh wow, wasn't she learning new things of late.

"Because staying with me is a bad thing?"

"Damn it. You know my beliefs." Erik stated with much conviction. "I can't give up on them."

She recognized the glint in her brother's eyes. He was about to get arrogant and self-righteous. Great...

"Do you even know how many you've killed while on your warpath? Do they know everyone they've killed? Did you even recognize the moment you stepped into your own warpath?"

"One day you'll see. The humans have already begun to turn on us. Governments are working to move against us. One day you'll understand why I must do what I am."

"Be alone?" Charles inquired, growing very solemn. "One day when you're standing among a crowd of followers, you'll again feel so alone. But this time the loneliness will overwhelm you and you'll lash out, like you have a tendency to do when upset, don't deny. And you'll understand what you've lost. The opportunities that once existed, now gone."

"It won't come to that. It won't be as bad as you think."

"We've all but been handed out a picture of the dark future we will all suffer if we don't stop it. So we know it. And also, because I know. I didn't know until you were no longer there. When I could no longer feel the vibration of warmth your presence always gave me, I knew what had been lost. You and I-We-together... Nevermind. It doesn't matter now. What could have been is just that. It is what was, not what is. I am already what you will one day be. Alone, surrounded by friends or family, but so alone."

Charles walked out of the room and she wasn't sure what to make of it when Azazel followed him out. She thought about going after them. Instead, she squeezed Magneto's arm comfortingly, and found her gaze wandering over to a bunch of scared and bewildered looking students of her brother's. And to think, it wasn't even morning yet.


	12. The Failure of a King

Chapter Eleven

The Failure of a King

Hampshire, England

Marcus stood with Granite and Blink, prepared for what was to come. His newest recruits stood with him as well. They were waiting, standing on the harbor as Truth and Nightmare approached. It wouldn't be long now until the reporters arrived. Nightmare brought positive news.

"The Navy crews on duty are fast asleep in the midst of terrible dreams. They won't wake to interfere."

He smiled and motioned to one of the vessels. "Take the ship the two of you can pilot yourselves. We'll meet you out there."

Truth returned his smile. "Towards the dawn of a new world."

The pair of them headed off in their preselected direction and Marcus turned away to the sound of approaching vehicles. The police had shown up, how irritating. Ah, just behind them was a squadron of news vans. It was almost showtime.

Westchester County, New York

"I think you make mistake."

Charles stopped at the foot of the stairs to look at the Brotherhood member who'd trailed him from the kitchen. He was dreadfully sick of talking but it would be impolite not to hear the man out. So here he was, lowering his raised foot back to the floor and standing with his arms at his sides.

"What mistake would that be?"

"Magneto needs you around. You need him around. You both, stay together."

He raised an eyebrow at that and laughed a tad unpleasantly. "There was a time when I believe I did need Erik, but then he abandoned me."

Azazel averted his gaze in favor of the floor. "The day on the beach, working for Shaw, was a peculiar time. Mistakes were made. Like this one you're about to make."

He sighed. "You stand with the Brotherhood. You know our beliefs are too different for us to reconcile without one of us giving in in some way."

"If you believe this, I think then, you would be surprised what Erik would do for you."

Now he was frowning, brow furrowed in a fair amount of confusion. "I don't understand you. Your group seems so together, yet so divided. Was this the grand plan of Magneto's? That everyone do as they wish and there won't be any consequences? No wonder the future appears to be so troubling."

"The future so troubling, yet you'd turn from potential allies to stop it?"

Automatically his telepathy reached out to touch the surface thoughts of the teleporter and beyond. He pulled away before he could read anything. Curiosity was getting the better of him. It was his common practice not to read minds unless deemed necessary. People tended not to like an invasion into their minds.

When Azazel stepped closer and nodded in his direction, he found himself rather puzzled. "What?"

"Go on. Take a look."

He hesitated only a moment before focusing and diving in. There was nothing quite like exploring a mind other than his own. This mind in particular, it was like no mind he'd ever been inside. He learned how Azazel took pride in loyalty, honor, and bravery. Charles was surprised to find a whole section walled off in the mind concerning himself and everything the man had come to know about him. Of course, that definitely was a far second to the most surprising revelation found.

"I'm curious, Azazel, why you've chosen this world to be your home. There are, it would seem, so many to choose from."

When the other man didn't answer right away, shifting from one foot to the other and then moving sideways, Charles saw what he'd failed to notice while he'd been shuffling about inside of Azazel's mind. The entire group inhabiting the kitchen had made their new place to make him uncomfortable be the foyer. They were all of them standing near the door, staring at the red-skinned man in a suit with mixed expressions of shock and surprise.

"Oh dear. My apologies. I've done it again. They didn't know."

"You're from another planet?!" Raven squeaked out, shrill and astonished.

"Another dimension," Charles corrected, then paused, wondering if he should have said it. Oh well, too late now. "He's much older than he looks."

While he stewed again over incidentally revealing another's secret, Azazel relieved him of his needless worrying.

"This planet never ceases to amaze. The capacity for humans to love, hate, forgive... Humans never cease to amuse me. They have a genuine potential to create a great world so I remain. A grand world would be something to bear witness to."

Well that was mind-blowing. He was surprised to find Azazel still managed to be terrifying, but now Charles could see he was dignifying and respectful, too. He kind of liked the man, a man who was supposed to be his enemy.

"Eh, professor?"

His eyes found Sean and meaningfully looked at him until he went on.

"When'd the whole eye-thingy with you start?"

He hadn't been expecting that. He didn't even know the answer.

"I don't know. When I have to use a lot of my power, or mental strength if you will, they just start glowing. A part of the mutation I suppose."

"Do you think any one of us can have our eyes looking like that if we're using enough power?" Alex wondered aloud, sounding like he thought that would be groovy.

When Charles didn't answer quick enough, Shaw answered for him. "No, child, because you don't have enough power to have your mind expel visible signs of energy-use through the eyes."

Alex looked quite offended at being called a child. But then he swapped it for an impressed look. Clapping Sean on the back, he grinned at Charles.

"See, we knew you were still cool."

"Yeah, cool and bleeding." Sarah pointed out.

Right, the bullet that had clipped him across the side of his head. There was even a bit of a stinging pain to go along with it. How'd he manage to ignore that?

He reluctantly turned to face Tom when his student approached him and Azazel.

"Mind if I take care of that, professor?"

He relented, tilting his head downwards and in Tom's direction for easier access. The touch of the young man's hand was warm. A slight tingling sensation was all he felt and then the side of his face no longer felt damp from blood, pain receding into nothing.

"A wondrous ability. Thank you, Tom."

"Anytime, professor." Then he seemed to think better of what had come out of his mouth. "But don't make a habit of getting hurt."

"Healing, so awesome." Raven exclaimed, visibly impressed.

Tom looked at her, shrugging. "I can only do the small stuff. Cuts, bruises, a couple broken bones are my thing. I wish I could heal more, like your cancer, Sarah."

He actually had the audacity to look ashamed. Charles put a hand gently on his shoulder.

"There are some things out of our control, Tom. Sometimes we cannot change things, or heal people, as much as we wish we could."

Charles forced his gaze to steer clear of Erik's heated one currently staring him into the ground. Then he didn't have time to mull over anything else because he was picking up trouble.

Vaguely, he could hear Tom agreeing with him.

"I know. I get it. I mean, you had to kill your step-father because otherwise he would have ended up killing you, or Cain, or... That situation was a hopeless one. I guess, what I'm trying to say-"

"Is that we get why you did what you did." Sean finished for him. "You were a scared kid. And we all know what it's like to be a kid coming into a power, feeling scared and alone."

"Or being in a tough situation with your family, not knowing what to do to get away, to feel safe again." Alex added.

He heard this and smiled at them appreciatively, but then he regarded the sole person in the room who could pick up on what he was learning. Emma met his gaze and thinned her lips, letting on she knew what he knew. She used their shared unique condition to speak with him privately.

"We knew of these mutants. We'd been planning to approach them for recruitment purposes."

"Until I lost my mind and ruined everyone's week?"

"Something like that, darling."

"I can't seem to get a direct read on any of them, only the fear and panic of those near."

"Same. They have some method of blocking our telepathy. It's getting annoying how frequent that's been happening."

"How do you mean?"

"Wouldn't you like to know. Well, you can likely imagine we've been busy monitoring government facilities and what the CIA may know. Good work preventing them from learning anything too useful by the way. You're really very talented."

"And you're more kind than you behave, Miss Frost. Why is that?"

"Kind, only to those I like. You can call me Emma. You're smart, handsome, charismatic-"

"Quite enough flattery, Emma. It won't distract me from knowing the Brotherhood's activities over the years have resulted in recent government action. Perhaps leading to the war we all fear will happen?"

"I wasn't."

"Hm?"

"I wasn't distracting you. But now, I'm afraid I must. The situation is elevating. We should inform the others and go?"

"Looking to help innocent civilians, Miss Frost?"

"Call it looking for excitement and glamour in this often dreary world."

"There is much more to you than you let on, Emma, and you are right. Further discussion may be continued at another time."

Charles snapped out of his telepathic discussion and regarded those in the room. There wasn't an opportunity to formulate a plan of any kind or even to suit up. They needed to act before the situation in Hampshire worsened.

"Azazel, I must ask a favor if you would be so kind."

"Ask it."

He was surprised by such willingness but didn't question it. He transmitted images of the location held in his head.

"I ask for a temporary alliance, Erik." Then he regarded Azazel once more. "And transport. Portsmouth Harbor. Navy home of Britain. Those who have come to call themselves the Reapers are there, and foolishly look for an audience. We will grant it to them."

Hampshire, England

They appeared, all fourteen of them, just behind the crowd filling up the area along the harbor. The people gathered were mixed in their reception of those seeking to captivate them, but captivate them they did. Some were enthused and deeply invested in rooting for the six men and women standing on a raised platform with at least a dozen cameras fixed on them. Others were either weary, suspicious, or just plain fearful of the group of self-proclaimed terrorists that kept them transfixed to the spot.

"Good people of Hampshire, hear me. Listen to what I have to say. Here we display to you a taste of our power. Where is your precious Navy? They are asleep in their beds. They will not come to stop us. And-" Sharply the speaker tilted his head to eye a handful of officers pushing their way through the crowd. "Should the police attempt anything, they will be neutralized just as the Navy crewmen before them."

When the police hesitated and then began to move forward again, out of a sense of duty or pride, Charles himself reached out and stopped them. They would get themselves hurt or killed if he let them continue. He had little choice.

"Hear me, good people. Together, we, the Reapers, will make a new world. The weak will perish, mutant or not, but the strong will flourish."

Murmuring began anew among the crowd. Murmurs pondering whether this was good or bad news for them. A few were adamant that they should leave now, others spoke in favor of just the opposite. The result was mere shuffling of restless minds and nothing more. The best of people could be so indecisive, and Charles knew he was no different.

He watched Magneto taking charge of his people, Emma remaining where she was at her leader's side. Riptide, Angel, Raven, and Azazel spreading out among the crowd, moving closer to the front of the dozens of people gathered. It didn't take long before the very red Azazel, and the very blue Mystique, began to draw attention away from the speech-giver and assailant of the Royal Navy.

Charles watched this man lower his gaze in order to better examine the peculiar appearance of the two members of the crowd. The man knew they hadn't been there before. He knew this without having to dig into the mind. However, It did feel like a good idea to find out precisely what he was thinking. Charles attempted to enter Marcus Smith's mind. But it was like when he was in his manor. He couldn't get into his head.

He tried to enter the mind of the tall, lean woman standing just behind Smith's left shoulder. Nothing. The young man next to her, the same nothing. Emma apparently was having similar results. She looked his way and then at Magneto beside her.

"Those vests each of them wear, I think there's some kind of psionic shielding." Emma physically pushed two teenagers out of her way in order to be seen by those on the platform directly ahead. "A psionic shielding as part of that vest. That's incredible. How did you do it?"

"We didn't." Smith shared, more than glad to do so. "Our benefactors did. These vests are made of non-metal alloy with crystals woven in the interior to shield against psychic abilities. I very much suspect you and your Brotherhood of Mutants were the cause for such efforts to be prolonged until achievement..Magneto."

Magneto adjusted the helmet atop his head to ensure it remained firmly in place, and began to move through the crowd. They parted to make way for him, many of them beginning to back off at the same time. It was like they could feel violence was brewing. Charles took a few quick peeks to find he was right. Many of them could feel something bad and it was frightening them.

"Of course," the leader of the Reapers went on. "I don't actually require such a special vest, ability such as mine is the thanks for that, but, I do like how it goes with my cape. Don't you find it delightful? I thought if someone like you could get away with walking around in one, why not give it a try myself?"

Charles could tell Erik didn't in any way see the man's comment as a compliment. In fact, he looked annoyed and a tad impatient. For what reason was his old friend feeling impatient, he could only guess. Marcus Smith was doing a fine job of ruining the Brotherhood's efforts to solidify a following for their cause.

"People like you need to hear this most of all, Magneto. When the new world comes, mutants will be rulers, leaders, gods. Mutant is power. Many mutants are capable of being gods. Mutants are the future."

"Mutants are a sign that evolution is at work, Smith, but your methods are more symbolic of a cult. You cannot win this way." Magneto stated.

"Call me Shield," Marcus told him with a slight smirk, before adding, "Watch this."

The leader of this new uprising stepped to the side so everyone could better see what was about to happen. Charles was every bit as worried about what was coming as the people about him he was picking up on. Their worry and fear magnified his own tenfold. It wasn't at all pleasant.

The tall woman took herself to the edge of the stage furthest from the crowd, and stared in their general direction. She began to twirl herself around and around and when she finally went still again, her entire skin had become a shade of light blue, her hair a dark blue. She'd frozen over, eyes glowing briefly an icy blue color before fading again. To Charles, her body very much resembled how Raven looked when she pranced around in her blue form without any clothes on, though with a lighter skin tone. This woman had clothing, but her skin freezing and turning to ice had caused it to plaster against her in a very form-fitting manner. Her hair had frozen into thick strands behind her head, and her lips upturning into an assured smile, had turned blue.

Raising both hands straight up and partially crossed over one another above her head, she then swung them around as she spun to face out over the water. She was facing the direction of the building and docks lining the pier. She was targeting the Navy ships and the buildings that belonged with them. Both palms spread out and aimed in that direction, smooth ice shot out of her hands and kept on until every one of the ships and buildings was coated in solid water.

Charles thought about the poor people inside. The poor, frozen people inside. A single motion and this woman had just ended hundreds of lives. He had to do something. He couldn't let this continue. He moved to go toward the platform and Magneto sidestepped in front of him slightly. He'd done it in such a casual way that it could be construed as incidental. Charles knew him better though. Erik was attempting to keep him out of harm's way. He wasn't a child. He wasn't naive and helpless. He wasn't!

He started to move around Erik but then the crowd began to scream and panic, because another of Shield's mutants had chosen to act up. This young man lifted both his arms and electric bolts surged forth from his hands and arms, into the sky. Then he began to level the electricity, towards the watching crowd. Cameras and microphones were abandoned as even reporters fled their posts in fear.

When Smith hopped down from the platform, the girl with auburn hair and the arrogant looking guy among his people following his lead, Charles saw he'd done it to get a particular desired outcome. The humans had run off, the fourteen new arrivals remaining from the crowd. The fourteen mutants.

"Allow me to introduce some of my most trusted allies, Magneto. This is Granite and Blink."

Granite was the young man with the smirk on his face. Blink was the somewhat short young woman standing with him, a confident smile of her own worn well.

"These three up there, are Shiva, Surge, and Fenrir. Believe me, they are all of them given their names for obvious reasons. Now Shiva, isn't she a thing of beauty?" He stared proudly up at her, where she appeared to be elegantly balancing on the tips and then balls of her feet intermittently. "She is truly a goddess in her own right."

He clapped his hands together, expression of awe transitioning into one of solemnity as he leveled his gaze at each of the fourteen mutants that had remained behind.

"So, which of you is the leader?"

Charles glanced toward Erik, back at Shield, and startled to find his fellow Britain-born man was staring at him. He swallowed uncertainly and glanced at Raven, then Angel and Riptide, who'd both shifted to be a little closer to him from behind and to his left. That was something he'd missed until now. He didn't understand at first, and took a step away to regard Erik more openly. Sean even went so far as to express what Charles was clearly trying to say with his directed stance.

"Magneto is of course. You know this. He leads the Brotherhood."

"Mm, mm," the man opposite disagreed. "They appear to obey that one, but they all protect him."

Shield was pointing now, pointing at him. Realization was dawning.

"You all protect him, and you always protect your king."

Charles stared at the man who stared right back at him. Oh no, he could positively feel the gears churning in Smith's head, even without his telepathy to aid him. He didn't like when people looked at him like they were digesting him. It was unnatural and unnerving.

"I am a god. You are a king. Kings fall, and in this, sooner is better than later. I can't have leaders around to threaten my desire to guide people to a new world. Kings will have to go to make room for the gods."

"Tough talk but I won't let you touch him." Magneto stated.

Another mutant appeared to break up this tension building party. Or perhaps to make it worse.

"You don't want to make us your enemy, Charles."

All of them startled at the sudden appearance of a short-statured girl with blonde hair, looking a little worse for wear. There were bags under her eyes but she stood tall and refrained from hunching or leaning.

Even though her appearing here of all places was most unexpected, Charles was well prepared with a response.

"A glimpse into the past. A time, an event. It happened to my future self. He told me this when he managed to astral project himself through time to come see me. He told me if we can stop things from getting worse between humans and mutants, we can change things. We can prevent the things that lead to a most terrible war. You must understand then, that I will do everything I can to prevent the war from happening."

"Charles, you-"

She was cut off when they all of them saw a flash of metal being brought upward, and then bullets hammered into the body that spread itself directly in front of Erik and Charles, but more precisely in front of Charles. He found he could hardly breathe as he ignored the machine gun, and stared into the eyes of the agony-filled ones of his dear student.

Sean's emotions flooded through his own head in droves of pain, fear, and surprise. The boy dropping to his knees, Charles let himself drop with him. He gripped the young man's forearms like his own life depended on it, and refused to look away from Sean's eyes. The eyes were desperate to keep his hold and he realized why when a voice sounded in his head.

"Professor... Cover your ears. Cover your ears!"

"Cover your ears!" Charles yelled, forcing himself to drop the arms so he could cover his ears.

Banshee held out another few seconds and then screamed. His screech remained piercing and painful even with ears blocked, and their unprepared foes cowered and stumbled. A final rattling death cry and Sean was keeling over. Everything after that was a hazy recollection.

He caught Sean, who'd fallen bloody and limp on his shoulder. The death so close to him, in more ways than one, his mind was abuzz with the feel of a death that felt his own even though it was not. But it was his beloved student, X-Men, and friend, so it might as well have been.

There was movement all about him which he was only vaguely aware. A sob caught in his throat and then there was the pressure of a hand on his shoulder. The world turned upside down, smell of sulfur faintly touching the single sense of his not being overloaded in this moment. When the world turned right-side up, everything was still so wrong.


	13. The Villains

Chapter Twelve

Villains

Westchester County, New York

"We act now!"

"Magneto! This guy just single-handedly took out an entire Navy force. We're not acting anything until we think things through."

"The time to sit idle has passed. How many must die before we act?"

"You're oversimplifying things."

"No, you're overcomplicating them."

Half a day. Half a day had passed and this was what he had to deal with already? Erik and Emma Frost battering it out verbally. Barely waited for the body to get cold, did they? Resisting Hank and Tom's protests for him to continue resting upstairs, he made his pathway down to the kitchen where the Brotherhood was having an impromptu meeting. Shaw was there as well. The man truly didn't know what to do with himself and he couldn't be blamed. No one had ever been in a situation such as his. Except the version of Charles, himself, who'd called himself X. Where'd he gone to? That hopefully wouldn't rear back to cause harm later. Nothing was right any more.

Charles strode through the doors and used all his might to throw his fist into Erik's most unsuspecting face. Er, well, the side of Erik's neck anyhow. He couldn't be bothered to wait until the man had fully turned around to look at him. He, however, was careful to avoid hitting the awful helmet encasing most of his head.

Erik, no, Magneto, was staggering away from him. He was surprised and a tad bit amused too. Unacceptable. A momentary pause and then he barreled the same fist into his former ally's stomach. It was good Magneto hadn't wished to continue walking around in his armor inside the manor.

There were a few weak protests in opposition to this treatment of the leader, but mostly there was silence. They didn't know whether they should interfere or let things play out. After all, Magneto was more than capable of defending himself. Which begged the question of why he wasn't.

His face twisted ugly when he reached down to pull Erik straight. "Well?"

Magneto stared at him. Charles kneed the other in the stomach and released another fist into his face. His anger was growing. Things weren't happening as he'd intended. Where was the violence his friend was so keen on?

"You're so eager to fight. Why won't you fight me?"

When Magneto opened his mouth to talk, Charles lashed out. He only partially clipped the man's chin since this time he had the good sense to try to avoid another hit. But he still didn't react desirably. Charles shoved the bigger man, hard, causing him to stumble a good few feet.

"Fight! Fight back! Hit me!"

The other had the nerve to step back towards him and look him right in the eye. "Never."

His refusals to fight were all well and good if he hadn't already attacked him in the past. Charles had far from forgotten that afternoon when his world had fallen apart. He'd forgotten what it was like to feel worth anything after that day. A lot of mistakes and bad decisions had happened since then.

"You've hit me before, remember?"

Erik didn't deny him, but he did infuriate him. "Never again."

He just screamed out the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him on the inside. He was at a loss for words in his fury. For all his power, where did that get him? Still alone and helpless and watching people he cared about get hurt, watching them..die.

This time the other man was prepared for his assault and grabbed his arm, tugging it towards him. Charles lost his balance with the surprise move and fell against him. Arms locked around him tight and he squirmed, thinking it was an attack. His rushing brain began to slow upon finding his body mostly immobile. He faltered as he understood this was not an attack of any kind, but an embrace.

When the sob escaped his throat, he tore himself free and got one last hit in. Erik took it and then Charles just didn't have the strength to resist his pull. He collapsed against a broad shoulder and let out his stifled grief. Tears came fast and hot and he couldn't bring himself to care about his audience. People there or not, Sean was still dead. Dead protecting him.

"It's my fault," he managed.

"No."

Erik said the word so firm and certain, like he had a clue. He couldn't. Not in this.

"He died trying to keep me safe. Why would he do that?"

"Repayment of a debt, love, you pick the poison, darling. You mean a great deal to every single one of your students." Emma shared, knowingly.

Of course she'd go inside their minds without asking at some point. Charles inhaled deep to center himself, trying to ignore he'd just gotten an enormous whiff of Erik's scent. Pulling away, he kept himself standing upright as the Brotherhood member went on.

"Perhaps you should keep that in mind the next time you step in front of a bullet not meant for you, or mouth off to a megalomaniac."

He partially gaped at her. Mouth off? He'd done no such thing. Look at him with derision, maybe. Explain to Apocalypse he certainly wasn't content with letting an apocalypse come to be, absolutely. Oh. She was flickering her eyes from him to Erik, repeatedly. She was trying to mean the message to the both of them? Still, it wasn't her place.

His gaze hardened, speaking to everyone in the room. "I'm one person. It doesn't matter if I die."

Utter silence. Until laughter broke through it, startling everyone in the room. Sebastian Shaw was laughing at him.

He narrowed his eyes at the man in the suit, sitting with legs up and crossed on his kitchen table. What was his purpose in offending him? He waited impatiently for whatever the man surely had to say. The laughter cut out abruptly and a scary kind of sudden solemnness overtook the man's features.

"The fact you believe like that, proves just how important you are."

Now he was staring in bewilderment at Shaw. "What?"

"You-dying. Never gonna happen cause the people in this room just couldn't take it."

He waved his hands about said room. "These people work against the very things I hold dear. I very much doubt I factor into their weekly decisions of terrorism."

This earned him a little chuckle from Shaw. "I stand by what I said previously."

His fists clenched at his side. That all familiar frustration churning up inside him. "That doesn't make any sense!"

"Enough from you, Shaw!" Erik growled, stealing Charles's attention for himself. "Charles, listen, you don't need to be a part of what's to happen now."

"And, what, precisely, is going to happen now?" His tone was as rocky as his feelings on such a claim.

Erik swallowed that down easily enough, having expected resistance no doubt. He felt a brief flash of satisfaction when the other man hesitated to wipe a bit of blood from his lip, the evidence left behind from Charles's recent, albeit uncharacteristic attack. When those pale eyes stared him down, he met them.

"We're planning to launch an attack on Shield and his Reapers before they get a chance to strike again."

"Premature, don't you think?"

His remark garnered a sigh of frustration from Erik. All this time gone by and it still didn't hurt any less when his old friend tolerated him like he was a mere child, someone to be handled. Sometimes he thought if Magneto could have his way, Charles would find himself locked in a cage where no one could touch him and he could touch no one either.

"No, I don't think it is. You've seen the level of damage they're capable of. We need to wipe them out before they wipe us out."

"We've seen some of their power, yes. But I don't believe for one second we've seen everything those people are capable of at all. Frankly, we don't even know how to find them, and they shouldn't be able to find us either."

"I'm not taking that chance." Erik snapped back, then refrained from letting anger or frustration leak into his voice with his next words. "And you could find them. You could find all of them if you use Cerebro."

Comprehension fell upon him, rough. Magneto was bothering to let him in on their plans because he needed Charles's help. It was necessity which drove him to be honest, nothing more.

"I'm afraid I can't help. I won't direct you to your next ground for slaughter. Those people should be arrested and locked away for their crimes. There are laws in place for criminals."

Magneto looked at him like he was spewing fairy tales rather than facts. Why was it so hard for him to believe in humans? Why couldn't he give even an inch to actually allow his own life to improve? He would always be the insufferable peace lover and human lover to Magneto.

"You are so arrogant! Your bleeding heart will lead us into enslavement."

He didn't back down. "My bleeding heart does bleed."

This was about more than Marcus Smith and his violent bunch of dangerous mutant followers.

"With every senseless death that occurs at your doing. All because of a fear that never left you as a child. You hate people. You fear they will hate us, hurt us, erase us from the planet. Some of them most certainly may try. Much fear is a highly irrational occurrence, and," He eyed Erik poignantly before finishing his thoughts. "It is also a very human thing, after all, to seek more power."

More power. It was everything Magneto wanted, right? Why not throw it in his face when he was going to be plotting an attack in his house. Magneto, never seeing himself as possibly being the actual villain in the story. But oh how that was exactly where he was headed these days.

He lifted a hand to his cheek, noting the tear tracks that must have been very observable to everyone in the room. He wondered if his words could even have the same impact looking in that manner. Turning from the room and everyone in it, he started back to the door from which he'd entered.

"Where are you going?" Erik asked, trying to obscure the irritation in his voice.

Erik might have his trust issues and problems with honesty, but he didn't. "To clean up and dress more appropriately."

Upon returning to the manor, he'd changed out of the blood soaked clothing of his student and friend, but he would require a suit for where he was going. A well-fitted black suit and tie would do. It wouldn't do to let his face be stained with tears though. He had to be professional and strong. Two things he was far from being, but appearances could be performed for a time.

"For what?"

The irritation was growing in Erik. Charles didn't have the strength to let irritation continue to fester in himself right now. Grief was the overwhelming factor in this moment, for him.

"I have a woman to visit. You see, I have to decide how best to explain to a mother, why her child is dead."

He walked out and didn't look back. The door slipped shut behind him but not before he felt another mind join his own in the foyer. It was not a mind he expected and he turned to look at her, curiosity evident on his face.

"What is it?"

"Do you doubt yourself or something?"

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

She hesitated, placing her hands together up by her chin in a prayerful looking position. "I've grown a lot since you knew me. A friend helped me find someone to confide in, to look to for guidance."

A brief trace over her surface thoughts developed his understanding of why she'd come to him. He still had yet to understand what she thought she would gain from it.

"Janos led you to God. Interesting even with faith, you choose to follow a man like Magneto."

"You were his friend once."

Charles let out a soft laugh. "Magneto and I were never friends."

"Erik then." Angel corrected and breezed on. "And you were there for me when I needed someone most too. Please tell me, even if this is the sole time you ever tell me anything personal. Please tell me what you're thinking."

He looked at her questioningly. "Right now?"

"Sure."

Ah, what the hell. "I'm weak. I couldn't stop Erik from taking revenge and killing, or trying to kill, Shaw, and I probably won't succeed in preventing him from killing Marcus Smith."

"I've never met anyone stronger. Your mind. And I don't mean the telepathy. You're uncompromising, relentless, brave. You're the one we need."

Was he gaping again? He probably was, but he was incredibly surprised. When had he earned such faith from her of all the Brotherhood members?

"You mean everything to us misfits of society. Even that man from the future said it's so. You know, the big guy with all the hair and muscles. You're the one we need. Even if he doesn't see it now, I think he will if you stick around."

"Erik's the one doing the leaving, again." Charles pointed out.

"And it will be you who lets him leave, again." Angel pointed out in turn.

Where were these Brotherhood members getting ideas about him and Erik working together again? So much time had passed. Their paths were far too different to cooperate permanently together. It would never work and it would end in regret and pain for him each time they inevitably separated. He wouldn't have that. He wouldn't be able to stand it.

His attention zeroed in on the conversation now beginning on the other side of the door, Angel's attention following his. It was Frost who spoke first. She did so loudly, and he knew after a glimpse into her open mind, intentionally. He felt violated for Angel, knowing it was likely the telepath had used her eyes to eavesdrop on their conversation by hiding in her mind.

"Looks like we might have a traitor among us. Angel's getting cozy with the professor."

Erik spoke second, and harshly. "Don't you start things."

"I'm only trying to help. You're aiming to let things get out of control, and then where will our happy band of mutants be?"

"Do you know what I find most amusing about all of this, Erik Lehnsherr?"

"I'll not be hearing anything from the likes of you either."

"You think you have that telepath all figured out. That he's too weak to do what's necessary to ensure safety and acceptance for all mutant-kind."

The sigh that followed from Erik was anything but quiet. "I'm certain you'll find it warranted to tell me."

"When are you going to realize that he must hold himself back?"

Brief silence Charles could tell Shaw was only too gleeful to fill up.

"His power is extensive to an extreme level. He can be dangerous and it scares him so he works hard to contain it. He is the exact kind of threat that could destroy the world. The type of mutant the world will certainly fear. That is a large part of his reasoning for trying to create a world of cooperation and safety for mutants and humans." Shaw laughed a little, amusement clear. "All of you worked so hard to learn to use your abilities, while he spent all that time learning how not to use them. That's how above you he is. It's beautiful."

Charles sighed, displeased with where this all had gone to. He glanced toward Angel's pleading expression and proceeded to push into the kitchen from there. Well, he'd managed to walk out on Erik first for once, for a few minutes anyway.

"Fine."

Erik straightened from where he'd lowered himself to glare down at a still comfortably reclined Shaw, looking at him in surprise. Emma, of course, was not surprised. She was seeming quite pleased with herself actually. Another manipulation gone her way?

"Charles. Fine?"

"Yes, right, fine." He focused his attention singularly on Erik. "If you're convinced the world needs saving from yet another madman," His gaze flitted briefly over to Shaw. "Offense intended, sorry." He was back on Erik again. "Then this is how it will go. We will be a team. The ones I know from your Brotherhood, Shaw, so we can keep an eye on him, and none of mine get involved."

"Hey!"

The protest came from Alex. He, Hank, and Tom piled into the kitchen from where they'd been listening behind the other door to the room. He really had to watch how distracted he got when Erik was around. Normally his power would have picked their presence up immediately.

"We should be on the team, Professor! We've been a team stopping the Brotherhood for years."

"I won't lose another student." Charles informed them, closing the conversation off from any argument starting by listening to how Erik was taking all of this in.

"So now I've got it in my head to save the world?"

"Yeah, I was surprised too, but your urgent need to do something right for once was deeply overwhelming. Touching, really."

Erik blinked. Honestly, Charles was surprised at himself putting up such a convincingly confident and almost humorous exterior. This was how he could manage staying on his feet and doing Sean proud. He'd imprison the son of a bitch who'd murdered his friend. He grew more serious for this next part of his offer.

"Your other Brotherhood members are welcome to stay here with my students if you wish. This place is secure and relatively secluded but the choice is yours. If you're working with me, Erik, let me be clear. I am in charge. I make the decisions. If you're not okay with that then I'll have to do what I'd much rather not do, which is to take my own team. I trust them implicitly."

"You'll get yourself killed by your insistence to be so stubborn."

Charles turned away, facing the door and Angel, who still stood inside the entryway staring at him.

"Just go back to your own cause and your Brotherhood, Erik. You've made it quite clear nothing else is more important than your belief in mutant superiority. You have no interest in saving the world. You wish to destroy it."

"I'm not leaving you to go off and fight alone."

"Why? Because I might get killed? Perhaps it would be better if I died. Then you would not be held back from fighting for the war you so desperately want."

"Charles!"

"I don't want your pity, or guilt, or whatever it is that keeps you concerned for my well-being. Ten years without a word from you, ten. We're not friends, Erik, not any more. I don't even know you. The years have not been kind on either of us. I am not the same, and neither are you."

Yup, he'd definitely had to say that with his back turned on the one the words were meant for. It would have been far more difficult to deliver them face to face, with those eyes reading into his soul.

"Then know me again."

Confusion began to overtake his features when he felt the beginnings of a new mind's thoughts and feelings wrap around his own. A hand gripped his shoulder and spun him around, turned to where a forehead was placed against his own before he knew what was happening. He gasped loudly as an immediate surge of images, memories, thoughts, and feelings flooded into him from Erik's completely open mind.

When he did manage to push Erik off, he backed away. He thought his eyes were going to burst out of his skull and he knew he probably looked like a deer caught in headlights. That, had been a lot. Too much. He knew he'd given some of himself back to Erik in his unpreparedness for the contact he hadn't had for so long. The mind he'd never thought he'd feel again.

"You are so very much the same." Erik murmured, sounding relieved.

"I'd..I'd rather you not do that again without a warning of some kind."

"Do you trust me, Charles?"

Still very much shaken, he took a few moments to regain a bit of himself, then responded. "I will trust you. I will trust them. I will do this, for you. You realize what you're asking?"

"I do."

Charles really hoped he did. Because if he was abandoned again by Erik, when he was putting his trust in him, he didn't think he'd recover from that. In fact, he knew he wouldn't. They had to make this team work, no matter how brief it might last, and do it right.

"Well, hell, I'm in. If only for the entertainment value."

He and Erik jerked round to glare at Shaw simultaneously. He fought back the flinch he felt coming before it could be displayed outwardly, when Erik fitted the helmet securely back over his head. He focused on the cruelest man in that room.

"Why are you truly willing to help?"

Shaw grinned at him and lazily tapped the side of his head. "Why don't you read my mind, telepath?"

"Erm, sorry, but why don't you just use words, psychopath?"

"Fair enough, I will. Because, Charles Xavier, only you could manage to be rude and apologetic in the same sentence, twice in the last five minutes."

This was the shakiest alliance he'd ever been a part of. An alliance with those who could quite easily be perceived as villains themselves, to stop an emerging force of them. What if they took down these ones, and one or several of the people he was now aligning himself with, stepped into their place?


	14. The Ice Queen

Chapter Thirteen

The Ice Queen

Florence, Italy

The work they did was important. No one else was as capable a time-traveler as she, if there were even any others out there at all. The sentinels were quite exceptional at what they did, leaving only her and her brother as the loyal mutants to the human race, while wiping out the rest. They could do this, see this through and finish it. This was everything they'd been trained and prepared for since her very first memory. This was the mission. She knew now what needed to be done. Why was she stalling then?

"What is the point in all this?"

She examined her brother for a moment, his expression twisted in distaste for the portrait hanging directly before him on the wall. She'd brought them to this place to be far from events playing out in a very different part of the globe. They were waiting, letting things play out on their own for now. There was another reason she avoided traveling from her own present much of the time. There was a reason she kept herself in her own timeline and avoided the past.

"It's called art, Brian. People like to look at it, think on it, imagine whole other universes and stories with it."

His look of distaste grew into one of disgust and befuddlement. "Toward what purpose?"

"They think it's aesthetic. It tells them their history, possible present, future. It's a way to hope or dream sometimes."

"How do you know that?"

"I've been here before."

"Oh." He glanced her way. "What for?"

She rolled her eyes, unable to help the infantile act. "Wait here, brother. I'll be back before you know it."

"Bre-"

Gone was the museum and Brian. Gone was the heat and general sense of serenity that was a beautiful and cultured city. She appeared inside four tight walls and a very real darkness. There she waited until the one with glasses and a mostly awkward disposition walked out of the room with a tall broad-shouldered and blue-eyed man who could put her brother to shame with his obviously good physique. They were wearing fine-fitted dark suits and ties, near identical to the one she had waited on to get alone.

When she stepped out of the closet, she cracked a false smile. "Nice suit. Somebody die?"

Charles did not look at her, opting instead to walk over to the large window of his bedroom to stare out. It was no surprise to him that she was here. As a mind-reader, he'd probably known the second she popped into his closet space. Why he chose to say nothing or alert no one to her presence was the real query she thought longest on.

"His name was Sean Cassidy."

There was a definite tightness in his throat. He was holding in his grief and his anger, keeping it in check. She knew all about keeping her emotions in check. It wasn't every mutant who could destroy the world if they lost control. In her case, it could tear to pieces if she let it.

"He died in the future anyway," she reasoned, moving to stand next to Charles Xavier at the window. "Where I come from, people dying every day is commonplace."

"And where you come from, you would have all of us live there one day. A place referred to as hell on earth."

"No. I'll have all of you die there."

Charles shifted his standing position slightly, the only indication of being affected by her words. He cleared his throat and his pitch kept steady when he spoke.

"A bleak outset. You, come to murder me to enable this future."

"I know I won't let you into my mind, but really Charles, you can do better." She turned to face him and smiled widely. "Come on, you're an indisputable genius. Read me yourself, without the power."

He didn't say what she expected from him, but she wasn't disappointed.

"Where do you go when you're not meddling in my affairs?"

If possible, her smile widened. He was expressing interest in her personally. She felt fuzzy and nice inside about that. Charles Xavier, mutant wonder of the world, and her object of interest.

She snagged hold of the hand beside her and slammed her eyes shut. When she opened them, she now stood beside Charles on a rooftop in Florence. Bree released his hand to gesture at the view over the crowded street far below.

"Palazzo Vecchio. One of my favorite buildings in the whole world."

Brilliant blue eyes regarded her thoughtfully.

"Time-travel must be a terribly disorienting and painful process for someone not used to putting such an unfamiliar strain on their body, and mind. I think it's part of what screwed up Shaw's ability to be completely present and who he once knew himself to be. That and the extra effort you went through to show him what would come of the world should he have gotten his way. I'm guessing you don't usually care to protect people."

"No, I don't. Except when I'm traveling with my brother and-" she stopped herself short, realizing what she'd done without having realized she'd been doing it until just now.

Interpersonal relationships were not her forte. She typically communicated with violence because it was the manner in which her world worked. It was easier than talking, except lately she'd liked the talking while around a certain mutant. A mutant she'd already begun to work her special talent on after her first attempt had failed. She broke things, and Charles Xavier was to be her masterpiece to ensure their future.

She looked at Charles, who was staring hard-core at her, and quickly diverted her gaze back to the city beyond. Bree did everything she could not to feel his attention, taking in the sights and sounds around her. She breathed in the air and felt the rays of the sun upon her face and neck. Still it did not keep his voice from carrying over to her.

"You're an anomaly."

"No, no. That's my brother."

"Right. They call you, Apocalypse." He spoke it thoughtfully, like he was measuring the sound of her name as he said it. "For someone so set on destroying this world, you sure do seem to enjoy looking at it."

Bree peeled her eyes away from enjoying the calm nature of the area surrounding her. She began to feel a storm brewing in her stomach, rising to her chest, and she knew it meant bad things if it wasn't contained. She struggled to stuff any and all feelings deep down as she confronted him with the truth.

"I was born destroying things, Charles. It's what I am. Destruction."

She felt the invisible tendrils of his telepathy poking at her head and so she was surprised when Charles spoke to reveal. She hadn't actually felt him get in at all yet he'd managed to come away with a particle of information. He truly was an amazingly powerful telepath.

"You use Shield to hurt me, but you don't want him to kill me." His arms moved to cross behind his back as he shifted partially to face her. "May I ask why?"

Apocalypse could tell him this much. It was why she'd come to him when he was alone.

"You are a fixed point, Charles. You exist and matter in every universe. It's why I sought you out in the first place."

"You tried to turn me into a hating monster responsible for killing everyone I hold dear."

"I was appointed a task. I admit it was a mistake to try changing you. Clearly, it was not meant to be. You are you, incredibly strong and good. My apologies for thinking I could turn you hateful and wrong."

"You won't stop trying to change the present to bring about your beloved future though, will you?"

"As I said, I was appointed a task. I have no choice."

He frowned slightly. "There is always a choice."

"Not always."

"Then I suppose this makes us enemies."

Apocalypse smiled at him, amusement playing out across her lips. "Charles, I will succeed in preserving the future that happens. There's little point in making enemies of each other. I won't be around long enough for that. As soon as I course correct the present to lead to my future, I will be gone."

"I won't let that future happen," he declared. "I will figure a way to make sure that future never comes to pass."

She genuinely felt curious about this. "What would you do?"

His reply came readily. "Everything I can."

"Afraid I'll stop you if you're more specific with me?" she asked teasingly. She wasn't worried.

"I'll be the one to show both humans and mutants can and will live in harmony. There will be peace. Acceptance of such a new world will certainly take time, but there will be peace."

She took pity on him. He wanted something so badly and it would never happen. Her world was coming further into the light the longer she stood beside him. He merely couldn't see yet, what she would have to show him. There was no point in hoping. Pieces were already clicking into place.

"Oh, Charles, it's that kind of thinking that lost you the world. Some people just shouldn't live, least of all, freely."

At that precise moment he winced, a hand flying to the side of his head. He stroked at the flesh there, as if to ease unseen tension, worry creasing across his forehead. She understood he felt pain, but it was the pain of another. From this distance, it had to be someone he'd recently linked himself with. The blue mutant he'd apparently grown up with was a strong possibility.

"You want to return," she stated it. No sense in pretending she couldn't see what was right in front of her.

"Yes. Take me back now, please."

So polite. Apocalypse took his hand into hers and instead of immediately taking them back to the mansion, she paused to look at him.

"Where are they?"

She watched him draw in a sharp breath, and felt a twinge of something in her gut. It was unrecognizable to her, the feeling inside. Bree held on to his voice and as soon as he identified where he needed to be, she took him there. After watching Charles shaking off the peculiar feel of traveling through time, she took in their surroundings and the green field they were standing in.

"Taking over a small college like this? Hardly sporting. Still, across the ocean in less than a week. That's impressive. Sorry to say, I think your friends fell for a trap and it snapped them right up."

When he stared at the smirk starting to appear on her face, she wiped it clean off. Giving him a little wave, she left him to do whatever he deemed necessary. She had more art to admire and speculate on.

The art was where she'd left it, as was her brother, except he was looking more dour than last she'd laid eyes upon him. His arms were folded across his chest and he was leaning against a support beam. He spotted her immediately when she appeared, and glared at two young women. Two who'd borne witness to a girl appearing out of nowhere, dressed as oddly as the man she'd shown up near. He maintained his steely glare until they scurried away.

"What is it with this guy?"

The question came as soon as she made a show of brushing off imaginary dust from her armored outfit. Brian had determined she was settled well enough in this time to pester. She wasn't going to answer such an inane inquiry, not entirely. She was feeling rather tired right now.

"There's no hot chocolate in our future. There aren't a lot of things in our future."

/

Claremont, New Hampshire

Charles could feel the pain of a guard's back breaking when he was flung into a wall. Flung by a man who could manipulate the metal on his person to do it. He felt the screams and fear deep in his own bones when a red and black blur of a figure swept through a room and tore metal into legs of security officers who had the misfortune of being on the job. He put himself into the first mind he sensed strongest and peered through a young woman's eyes as she cowered behind a desk in a large lecture hall. She stifled a scream when she watched a blonde woman in a tight outfit walk into the room, stare two men in black suits down, and walk out after they shot each other in the arms their guns were clutched in.

They attacked non-lethally as he'd asked, but it didn't make him feel any better. They were terrorizing instead of acting solely with tact, a focus on an objective. Charles zeroed in on the mind of another man that caught his attention. The police had been called by a security officer before he was put down by a bullet to the brain. Before his sight had been lost when the mind he'd been inside died, he'd seen the shooter. Shield. He was nearly precisely at the center of the school building. He was waiting there.

"This was a trap," he murmured to himself.

Shouts came from above. He felt Riptide's mind, a touch of Raven's that had informed him of this in the first place, and he took off running toward the building. He shoved through the front doors and immediately located the staircase leading to the rooftop. Dashing onward, he used his mind to collapse two men in black suits and guns unconscious when they tried to block the staircase. Charles thought curiously that they might be worth a peek inside later. They were dressed like agents. CIA perhaps? FBI? Why were they here? Valid questions for a later opportunity.

He ran out onto the wide roof to see chaos all about him. Raven and Angel were working together to try and get a handle on the woman who kept appearing and disappearing around them. He remembered her as Blink from when Marcus Shield had seen fit to introduce his people to his audience. While the pair of women were working under the illusion the green eyed woman could teleport or move especially fast, Charles could see her ability. She was disappearing, and not always moving, because what she could do was make herself invisible.

Charles tore his gaze to Riptide when the man faltered in his fight with an enormous dark furred wolf, his wind dying down temporarily. He'd been pounced on by the wolf when a man had thrown his mind into chaos. A young man Charles had not seen before. Far as the telepath could tell, his ability appeared to be to project images into someone's head.

"Move!"

Shaw's voice. Caught off guard, his mind was still able to take in the sudden attack as her mind conjured up the idea before physically acting it out. He threw himself down. The woman made of ice, smiled in his direction and then spin kicked Shaw in the chest, felling the man for now. She turned back to him in the next instant. He tried to get inside her mind, to control her, but she was adept at blocking his psychic attack. Someone had definitely trained her well.

"Hello there. Er, don't suppose I could convince you we can work this out by discussing matters?"

She tilted her head at him, as if wondering what ever he could mean by his words. He knew she was Russian-born, but he was also pretty sure she understood English perfectly. This could be done so fast right now if everybody didn't seem to be trained to keep his most abrupt and urgent attacks out, or if they didn't have those vests on. Nobody would be fighting or getting hurt. Where had they gotten such vests anyway? How many were there? How could they be made? If he could study them maybe he could find a way to get through them with his mind.

Her palm was raised above her head, an icicle molding into being in her very hand. It was astonishing. She was able to generate an element out of nothing but her power. Charles wondered how well he was going to be able to avoid the very sharp looking piece. That would hurt. Once again he felt a wave of anger towards Erik for going ahead to the location he'd found for them without him. Sure he'd made them wait a few days before he used Cerebro, but this was stupidity at its finest. What had the metal manipulator been thinking?

"Kings fall."

Charles spun around to face the voice he recognized. Shield had come up the staircase after him sometime in the last minute or so. His ability being so effectively blocked by nearly every one of his enemies of late, he was beginning to feel pretty useless. Still, words he could manage.

"Shield, stop this. What is your aim here?"

"What is yours, Xavier? You're wealthy, and arrogant, and both make you think you can go around telling others what to do. This is not the makings of a leader that will better the world."

Those were rather unkind words. He was guilty of trying to tell people what to do sometimes, most of all with Raven, but it was because he worried and cared the most for her. He comprehended the full gravity of the choices people could make and how those choices affected people around them.

"I-I don't mean to tell people what to do. I mean to help them know how to make smart decisions, for themselves."

"Ah, that's right. You were a teacher, a professor. Am I to expect the professor is going to hurt me? Be a threat?"

The fighting caught his attention briefly as Riptide sent several wind funnels towards the wolf while Shaw slammed the mind assailant of some sort to the ground with a burst of stored energy. He was relieved to see Raven seemed to have picked up on Blink's talent because she communicated to Angel and a couple seconds later his sister was able to swipe her enemy's legs out from under her. The green eyes stopped glowing as her regular green eyes blinked in a bit of a daze from the floor she was now strewn upon.

Shield drew him back in. "You're a rather unimpressive specimen. Though I did read your thesis. You're a bit too clever for your own good. One day, one day someone like you might just get lucky and unsettle my efforts. I can't have that. Kings fall. This is where you fall."

"Not today."

Charles looked along with Shield to find Erik standing in the doorway from the staircase, Emma at his elbow. The unfriendly mutant moved away from the other two as they came further onto the roof, long cape ruffling in the wind. The Reapers having all adopted red and black appearances as their signature, it seemed to him to be a bit too close to the purple armor, cape, and helmet Erik chose to put on as Magneto.

Then again, leaders wanted similar things, didn't they? To be feared. Similarities were inevitable when you were going insane. No. He wouldn't think such things of Erik, no matter what he was possibly becoming.

Shiva's prior bland gaze shifted, part of her mouth stretching upward into a smirk. His attention was solely for her as he watched the single blade of ice atop her palm, grow and contort into a bulky rock shape. She swept herself into a circle with practiced ease, icy dust particles sweeping up into the air around her. Her hands clapped together, the twirl coming to an abrupt halt, ice chunk shaking rapidly. The block of ice shattered into innumerable pieces of sharp, dreadful ice daggers, and flew at them.

Shield, Charles, Erik, and Emma were suddenly in direct and immediate danger. Well, not Shield, who had a body that acted as a shield and had little need to be concerned. Charles yelled for Erik and Emma to get down. It allotted him barely enough time to heed his own warning, dropping down to one knee. He felt cold ice breeze by his hair, and felt like time itself was slowing when he saw he hadn't ducked low enough. Another two pieces were going to pierce him straight through his heart.

In the next moment of awareness, when everything had become normal time just as fast as it had seemed to slow, he was picking himself up off the ground from six yards away. The smell of sulfur wafted in the air about him he noted, as he spotted Azazel pop up again, appearing behind the woman of ice this time. He stabbed her straight through with his blade. When the sword ripped from her side, she crumpled, icy blue form becoming pale flesh, shining blue eyes of frost now dulled and anguished. And naturally all of this happened with her staring directly at him, having been turned in that direction when she was stabbed.

Pain and suffering. Pain and suffering. Charles made sure to keep his mind closed from hers. He'd seen enough of both over the past week. Instead he focused and sought out the statuses of the others, seeking Raven foremost.

He was relieved to find her and Angel unhurt, merely tired from the stalled fight in which she'd been engaged. The man he didn't recognize ran for Shiva, while the wolf looked Smith's way before leaping from the roof. Riptide hurried to the edge to see where Fenrir had gone, but turned back without an idea. Why would one of Smith's people flee? Sensing defeat? It didn't seem probable.

Charles thought he heard the sound of helicopter blades and considered investigating further, but then he saw Shaw. The man was holding a vest of padded armor. His gaze swept across to the side of the roof near the door as well as Shiva, taking in the man he didn't recognize was without a black vest now. Charles took advantage, diving into the mind for first, information, and then control.

A glimpse into the unguarded mind with his defenses lowered informed Charles of a few things. Focus and strength was for his horribly wounded ally, trying to raise her upright. And his name was Jeremy Tallick, a computer programmer and menial life kind of guy until a blonde girl in black armor came to him with the potentiality for something better. Apocalypse was ruining lives, didn't she see? Perhaps that was the point, her aim. Except her frequent meddling of late to prevent him from changing the future had the unfortunate result of repeatedly putting him in the line of fire. Something she claimed not to want. She might seem to know much, but she was still young, and did not understand the magnitude of her choices in this present time.

Charles tried to assume control of the distracted mind, but just as he grasped it, he was cut off. Shield was to blame. He'd moved close to shield his ally with his own power, knowing he was vulnerable to not one, but two telepaths. He continued to be protected until the leader handed over his own vest to the man. Then Shield stared directly at Charles and smiled. His smile was like that of a shark, everything predatory about it. There didn't have to be any mind reading for him to know Marcus knew he had Charles's presence to thank for the lack of fighting in this moment.

A long moment of tense inaction passed, and then Azazel did try to attack. He didn't teleport. Shield shook him off, pushed him back, and pulled a gun to keep him away. Charles felt like all of a sudden every last one of his senses had gone away. The feeling only lasted a couple of heartbeats, and that was long enough for him to feel his power absent. Azazel must have acted out of retaliation for the same thing. The Reaper leader could extend his power outward, and he had, affecting everyone on the rooftop.

Erik was not accepting of this change. His anger was intensifying at an alarming rate. Charles would have to have words with him later about how blind rage could make someone. Like the urge for revenge that had driven him and his top Brotherhood members into this obvious trap. Erik always was determined to handle whatever was thrown at him.

Charles cast a wary eye on Shield, who was closing the distance between them. The gun stayed on Erik, Emma, and Azazel's general vicinity, and so they moved out of the path of Shiva clutching her gaping wound as she was helped by her fellow mutant ally to leave through the door. Before leaving completely, Shiva looked back at Shield, her eyes seeking direct eye contact.

"Give no mercy."

Shield simply nodded, expression unreadable. "It will be as you wish."

The two left, door swinging shut behind them. That left Shield alone with eight enemies. This was a failing trap.

Assuming the invisible woman had actually left the roof, Shield had left himself totally alone. Yes, he'd wiped their powers from them for as long as they were in this close a proximity to him most likely, but pretty shortly this stand-still could turn into a physical brawl. No one liked to feel loss or wounded, and that was what this absence of his telepathy felt like. It was a part of him and to have it feel like it was missing, gone, was simply painful. The odds were greatly stacked against the Reapers' leader, despite the gun in his hand, so why didn't it feel like they'd won this predicament?

"The king is the end game." Shield said, keeping his back to the edge of the roof to better monitor all of them. "Taking the king is the whole point of the game. But in any game, sometimes other pieces must be taken out to ensure victory against the king. I can't lure you from your knights, the higher tier players? That's fine."

Shield flashed him another shark-like smile, leaving Charles deeply disturbed. Nothing compared to how he felt in the next moment.

"The pawns usually go first anyway."


End file.
